What I Will Do On My Holiday

In the absence, once more, of Real Tennis (how on earth am I going to manage in December?) I thought I'd use a schoolyard staple - what I did on my holiday - and turn it around a bit. Here it is - what I plan to do on my tennis junket in January.

Well, I plan to go to pretty much every tennis tournament in Australia. Except Hobart. Because Hobart is lame.

If I have my way, I'll spend two days in Perth for the Hopman Cup, where I'll hopefully get to see the interesting pairing of Andy Murray and Laura Robson play, and then fly on to Brisbane, to catch the men's semis and both finals. And then, after returning back to my dull dull life for a few days, I'll go on up to Sydney, catch the finals of both the men and women, and then down to Melbourne, for five glorious days at the Aussie Open.

I've booked the Sydney/Melbourne leg of my trip - and consequently have no money, but am very excited nonetheless. Whether the Perth/Brisbane leg ever eventuates will remain to be seen, but it's going to be awesome, even if I don't get to go. It's going to be sweltering and I suspect I'll end up with one of those tans that looks like leather, but such is the price we pay in the pursuit of our love.

The US Open series is often called the greatest roadtrip in sport, but I think my tennis junket here just might rival it... especially if I do make it clear across the country to Perth (a six hour flight, on a good day). It also means I'm completely mad (as many people have told me), to use a great chunk of my holiday leave on tennis, but there it is: I love tennis. And I've never been to either Brisbane or Perth, so that will be big fun also.

Apologies for the incoherent rambling - excitement (and heat) is what I'll chalk it up to. Have you got a tennis junket story - a tennis roadtrip (or plane, or whatever) that you've done/plan to do? Tell me about it!