Strike Factory

I bring great news, I finally have a new job following my interview this morning, working at the Gate Gourmet distribution centre at Gatwick, a full time permanent role with work starting within 2 weeks hopefully! Plus at the same time the door is still open for me to study part time at least whether with the great people at Rewards Training or possibly looking at Business In Management course as well, though due to aspergers will in the first month focus on settling in my new job before deciding to take on another course, plus will remain commited to roles at this blog and the We Luv Eastenders facebook page.

I would like to thank everyone for their support, especially the good people at CDG (Careers Development Group), for helping me get this role and fingers crossed it will lead to good and better things, so happy after years of seeking a full time job to give me a feeling of purpose, I finally have it. 

 

Got my ECDL Level 3 ECDL word processing certificate, sorted out and carrying on the jobsearching and I will be present at a jobs fair at Crawley Civic/ Town Hall next to the town hall next week next week hosted by local MP Henry Smith! 

So I was not quite right about the US Open final predictions with Marin Cilic winning, though I did have a great last weekend, with me making the most of Super Saturday at US Open watching the matches at pubs in Hassocks and Brighton, originally fancied a little drink watching the tennis at nice village pub that was easy to access decided on The Hassocks Hotel pub for the first match Special K stunning Djokovic, a nice pub that did a great meal and not afraid to play old skool dance whilst the sport is bring shown and the second one went to one of my fave haunts the Duke Of Wellington in Brighton where later on local minor celebrity Brett Mendoza emerged with mates to celebrate his birthday (that happens to fall on the same day as ex British No.1s Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski), after that visited my old fave clubbing haunt Audio for the first time in a year and a half where the raver Charles Ball really emerged, and had a cracking night where I thought I spotted ex Albion player Dean Cox also raving along, really want to visit that place more often and still got plans to go to Concorde 2 Carl Cox and Freemasons club classics night next month! 

Yesterday I got thinking of 9/11 again thinking back to what I was up to on that fateful day 13 years ago, when as a 15 year old schoolboy starting my last year at Abbotsford Schoool, it was the last lesson of the day and then suddenly we had Craig Anderson our Australian tutor who was known for pranks, stormed into our classroom and told us some planes had flown into a building in New York. At first we all thought it was another of his jokes but then once he switched on a TV in the classroom, we reliased sadly it was not a joke, and I went home being hooked to the radio in taxi home and then watching the tv in my bedroom all evening, a sad evening, never forget those about 2900 that lost their lives on that sad day! 

US Open mens final preview for general public

 

So there will be a new Grand Slam winner after tonight (unless it rains all day in New York), between two guys that tennis fans will know but the less hardcore more general sports fan will not know so well and not easy with no Nole, Fed Express, Murray Mints or Rafa, so here is some information about the two finalists, and little bit on their coaches who are both one time Grand Slam winners and former World No.2 players!

 

Kei Nishikori (Japan)

Age: 24

Current World Ranking: 10

Highest World Ranking 9 5/2014

Plays: Right Handed

Coach: Former French Open Champion and World No.2 Michael Chang!

Career titles: 5

Career highlight: Win or lose tonight he has made history becoming the first Japanese man to reach a Grand Slam singles final (Zenzo Shimizu reached the Wimbledon All Comers Final in 1920 but was really more a semi final as the winner would play the defending champion in the Challenger Round which was the final.)

Career lowlight: Suffering a shock first round loss at the US Open last year to British qualifier ranked 179 in the world Dan Evans in straight sets.

 

Marin Cilic (Croatia)

Age: 25

Current World Ranking: 12

Highest World Ranking: 9 2/2010

Plays: Right handed

Coach: Fellow Croat Goran Ivanisevic who broke British Hearts back in 2001 stunning Tim Henman in Wimbledon semi finals and going on to be surprise Wimbledon Champion (also once got defaulted during a match in Brighton for destroying all 3 racquets he brought to play and had nothing else to use so got disqualified).

Career titles: 11

Career highlights: Apart from this years final, has been a semi finalist at the Australian Open!

Career lowlight: Receiving a 9 months drugs ban from ATP Tour this time last year after he tested positive for a banned substance, however the sentance was later reduced to 4 months, though he returned to ATP Tour tennis action at Brisabne this year!

 

Past encounters/ Head to head: Nishikori 5-2 Cilic Special K has generally had the upper hand in 7 career meetings so far. The first meeting was at Indian Wells in 2008 which Cilic won. They have met at the US Open twice before with Nishikori winning the first meeting in 2010 and Cilic getting his 2nd and last career win against the Japanese man in 2012. They have met twice this year with Special K winning both! 

So the stats and history seem to place Kei 'Special K' Nishikori as the hot fave to win tonight, though with the numerous surprises that have gone around Flushing Meadows this year don't be surprised if Marin Cilic pulls a surprise from the bag, sadly looks like there is a big chance that the Arthur Ashe Stadium will not be a full house tonight due to the lack of 'big names' for more casual fans to enjoy but I am looking forward to this clash after the England football!