Rossa Fanning

@Peston @

Here is the big question for Starmer posed by Trump’s foreign policy exceptionalism, his conviction that international laws and norms don’t apply to the US, and that in the western hemisphere he can seize tankers, recalcitrant dictators and whole countries willy nilly. Should the UK and likeminded countries wring hands, bemoan the seeming collapse of the so-called rules-based international order and threaten legal consequences for Trump - justice that he will laugh and thumb his nose at. Or should we just acknowledge that Trump has buried that rules-based order - that its demise js a fait accompli - and so might may not be right but it will be the decisive factor in geopolitics for as long as he is POTUS? If the latter, the overwhelming priority for a government and nation with different values and ambitions from Trump’s is to reduce and ultimately end dependence on America’s enormous hard military power. It would mean, as Kemi Badenoch said at prime minister’s questions, that Starmer’s timetable for increasing UK military capability is too slow. It would also mean that Starmer’s and Macron’s “coalition of the willing” against Putin, the network of developed nations that has the US as a sort of associate member or benign observer, should become a much deeper alliance that could credibly be a counterweight to the expansionist ambitions of the US, China and Russia. The framework for this was sketched the other day when former UK intelligence chief Sir Alex Younger quoted Gary Kasparov’s aphorism that “if you don’t have a sphere of influence, you in someone else’s”. The UK, most of Europe, Japan and Canada are in America’s sphere of influence, whether they like it or not, because the alternatives - China’s or Russia’s - are unthinkable. That is a pragmatic fact, because the US has the military hardware and tech. But it is not permanently inevitable, even if breaking free would require momentous investment and unusual trust and cooperation between competitor nations. The point of course would not be to oppose or stand clear of all Trump’s actions. For a UK that has imposed sweeping sanctions on Putin and Russia, British military support for the US seizure of a Russian flagged tanker today is rational. But the creation of a coherent rival sphere of influence by nations with shared liberal values would at least provide the UK with more of a choice about when to endorse or challenge Trump’s overseas forays (that include, let’s not forget, forced acquisition of Denmark’s Greenland).

In today’s @IrishTimes I salute the unique genius of Professor W. Nial Osborough, a colossus of Irish legal education & scholarship @UCDLawSchool. With his passing the quality of discourse in heaven has gone up a notch. irishtimes.com/life-and-style…

@BlairHenley You would want to see him when he is actually at a match. This is him at match point last year when Lorenzi beat Kecmanovic in five sets in R2.

No fans, no problem. SCENES on 17 as Giovanni Bartocci, owner of the lucky Italian restaurant Matteo Berrettini frequented last year (which has since burned down), cheers his fellow Italian on from just outside the bubble. #USOpen

@JeremyPond @bgtennisnation Is this the proprietor ? This was match point at Lorenzi v. Kecmanovic in R2 in 2019.

@bgtennisnation Giovanni is one of the nicest guys you’d ever meet and it was such a fantastic place to eat, grab a drink.

So sad

@TheTennisTalker @sam_barry1992 @conorniland1 @jamesmcgee01 @DaveOhare90 Hmm. Maybe 1 is @JamesCluskey. 3 could be @Peterb95. 4 could be @SimonCarr783772.

@rossafanning @sam_barry1992 @conorniland1 @jamesmcgee01 @DaveOhare90 1/4

Guess the Irish tennis player

@Martina @BernieSanders He should quit but bad analogy @Martina as players retiring at that score are trying to void bets and are subject of TIU investigations. There is honour in seeing out a losing effort on court: @rogerfederer has never retired. I know you didn’t face that score often yourself 😀

Wow- attitude much Senator?!? There is no path for you to winning the nomination. Like a tennis player losing 6:0,5:0, with a really sore knee and staying in hoping the opponent will get hurt? While all the spectators have gone home already? Come on!!! CALL IT @BernieSanders !

@_markpetchey @sventennis @christophclarey That is an argument for prioritising Slams if the calendar is renegotiated and some events lose out. Which all players and fans would ultimately agree with. But it is not an argument for a free-for-all. This wasn't even discussed with the ITF or Wimbledon before being announced.

@rossafanning @sventennis @christophclarey It has also doubled its prize money for players since 2012. How many people in the real world in a job have had their pay double for doing the same thing in that time? They have more leverage as they pay the most and are the most prestigious

Talked to ATP's Vasek Pospisil about French Open move “We're always trying to make it work for everybody, and they just haven’t consulted the ATP, the players or other tournaments. Just a very selfish move. They're basically doing a power play right now, and it’s quite arrogant”

@_markpetchey @sventennis @christophclarey The French Open awards ATP points, uses ATP rankings for its entry lists & seedings, is counted on ATP win/loss records & as ATP prize money and until this point agreed a coherent tennis calendar with every other ATP and WTA event. We can't just move from that to a free-for-all.

@rossafanning @sventennis @christophclarey The Masters is a part of the PGA Tour. There is a far greater partnership even though operated by Augusta National. The French Open is not part of the ATP Tour. The comparison is direct enough for me

@sventennis @_markpetchey @christophclarey The Masters didn't just say "we can't have the event in April so we will just confiscate some other event's week in August because we are a bigger deal than the FedEx Cup". It is basically the same issue.

@rossafanning @_markpetchey @christophclarey I stand with you Rossa

@_markpetchey @sventennis @christophclarey Mark, the issue is that is a completely unilateral decision without regard to any other events, which is anarchy from the overall perspective of the tennis calendar. Slams agree dates with ATP & WTA years in advance. A summit to re-negotiate this year's calendar is required.

@sventennis @christophclarey Serious question Sven. Do you think Serena, Rafa, Novak and Roger (if he plays) will forfeit the chance of adding another Major to their resumes?

I penned the Obituary published in today's Irish Times for my late, great, friend and colleague @UCDLawSchool and @TheBarofIreland Paul Anthony McDermott. Rest in Peace, Paul.

Great to finally meet @rossafanning

@lcsboyz @GBtennis @Kamakshi_Tandon @thaikwiatkowski Thai’s tweet was an observation about the incongruity of the situation from the qualifier’s perspective. Mine was about the incongruity of the situation from the other perspective but credit to @andy_murray for declining a @usopen WC and accepting that he is not ready for that.

@GBtennis @rossafanning @Kamakshi_Tandon @thaikwiatkowski I hope it was a joke. There's a few trolls claiming Murray has come down in the tennis world having to play Challengers. So there's that to deal with.

Imagine qualifying and having to play Andy Murray for 3 points and 450 euros #tour

Great week with Fergus Murphy & David O’Hare on @ATP_Tour @CoupeRogers this week in Montreal with some Irish weather thrown in today to make us feel even more welcome #RogersCup #ATP

@WhispersNewsLTD Truth is stranger than satire because anti-discrimination employment laws in New York do in fact result in middle aged ball boys @usopen nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna1…

47-Year-Old Appointed Wimbledon Ball Boy In Anti-Ageism Move waterfordwhispersnews.com/2019/07/01/47-…

@StephenJFarrow @QueensTennis Was the main man @fabmartin86 serving bombs out there in the gloom Stephen ?

We’re still going @QueensTennis... late night doubles on court 1... 🎾🎾🎾🎾🎾

@bgtennisnation I said exactly that to @PGalbraithUSTA last night @rolandgarros. And MD Senior knows the game so well that @Martin__Damm will be really well advised going forward. Only issue is the mobility downside if you get to @JohnIsner or @ReillyOpelka size but the points won't be long..

by far the best young American 18 and under i have seen especially in pro potential

@bgtennisnation I saw @Martin__Damm play @usopen in September when he lost 1R to Skatov after winning Kalamazoo 16's and then on Sunday @rolandgarros & the improvement in 9 months is massive. 300 ITF to 11 ITF in 9 months. The serve is a tour serve already, other things will follow.

his serv is absolutely ridiculous for 15