I could be way off but I suspect Sant'Anna is a grinder, the type that could frustrate most on days when winners and aces don't flow. I'm sure Golding will be disappointed but these kind of losses happen on the junior circuit and a run to the final is still a good weeks work.

Hopefully this will be one of the few junior tournaments we see him in in 2011.

Right, got the predictions in before midnight (phew!), so time for a proper translation of the http://es.pn/hMTnko article from Juan Ignacio Ceballos.

[...] = my comments

Mexico before England 

This story combines tennis with love, and started two and a half years ago in Paris. Each just turned 14, Englishman Oliver Golding and Mexican Carolina Betancourt got to know each other during a junior tour, and started to be boyfriend and girlfriend. This relationship strengthened over time, until in September 2010 Golding decided to move to San Luis Potosi, 400 kilometres north of the Federal District [= Mexico City], in order to be closer to his partner.

What is curious [perhaps not to everyone ...] is that Oliver, who from today is the 4th best junior in the world, also took the decision to leave behind his relationship with the  coaches of the LTA (the British federation) and restart his tennis life with two Latin-American coaches: the Argentine Gustavo Perino and the Mexican Juan Carlos Baca.

"I took the decision to move to San Luis Potosi because of my girlfriend, but also because I was having problems with my tennis in England," says Oliver, who this Sunday will play in the final of the Copa Casablanca, the junior Grade A tournament (similar in importance to junior grand slams) which is being fought out at the Casablanca Satellite Club. "In my country, there is a lot of pressure on the players. It is clear that they are desperate to have another champion, and I want to be able to achieve that. But I believe it is better to be away from that pressure."

Golding's recent results have been positive. As well as the Casablanca final, where he arrived as the top seed, he also reached the Final of the traditional Eddie Herr tournament, and in the Durango Future [Mexico F9] upset the Mexican Daniel Garza (ATP ranked 454) to reach the quarter-finals. "I put all this down to working wit hmy current coaches," affirms Oliver, reinforcing his decision to choose Perino and Baca. But the reality is that is was not easy for the pupil and his coaches to cut the ties with England and the LTA.

"When Oliver came to Mexico, neither his manager nor his mother were convinced," explained Baca, coach at the Potosi Sports Club. It needed a trip from Sandra Golding (who, like Judy Murray, was also her son's coach [not sure Judy was Andy's coach except when he was very young, but she was clearly heavily involved]) to San Luis Potosi in order for the plan to receive her consent. As Oliver receives support from the LTA, as part of Team AEGON, it seems the British federation has also given the change its blessing. "People from the federation travelled to Florida during the Orange Bowl and had discussions with my coaches," says Golding, who speaks perfect (European) Spanish and was known in the past as a child actor.

Now with the green light, Oliver hopes in 2011 to become the number 1 junior in the world and to win at least one junior grand slam. The way to achieve it is absolutely clear-cut: "I intend to continue working with Gustavo and Juan Carlos in San Luis Potosi. As far as I know, there is nothing in the way of that and everything has been cleared with the British federation."

The boy with the powerful serve and drive recognises that life in Mexico is simpler for him. "People here are much more relaxed, much more fun. I love the food. Arrachera [a Mexican steak dish] is my favourite. And when I am in San Luis, I always try to go and see los Gladiadores (the Mexican Premier Division football team in the city)." And now, even putting hot sauce on his food. And while he isn't thinking of formalising anything with Carolina (WTA no. 819) yet, his love story and tennis story will continue to write themselves on this side of the Atlantic. In Mexico, his new home.

-- Edited by steven on Monday 3rd of January 2011 01:49:52 AM