Tag Archives: Dominic Bryant

Tennis Star Is Born At West Hants Club

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A budding star was born at the recent tennis AEGON Pro Series in Bournemouth as 14-year-old Brit Katie Boulter stole all the plaudits.

Katie, who is from Leicestershire, qualified for the outdoor clay tournament with success at the AEGON British Tour qualifiers and then raced into the quarter-finals of the Pro Series, where she competed against players from across Europe for $10,000.

Her progress was halted by the German number two seed, Scarlett Werner as she succumbed to a 6-2, 6-2 defeat to an opponent twice her age.

LTA Tournament Director Richard Joyner said: “For her (Katie) as a 14-year-old, her quality in matches was a clear positive from a British perspective.”

Joyner deemed the entire tournament a success. “It has been slightly more successful than last year, especially because of the good weather we have had.”

He added: “It is a challenge to get the publicity. Many people just think that Wimbledon is all there is to tennis, when really you can watch a free event like this where the quality of tennis is very high and there are potential stars for the future.”

Reflecting on the difficulties that Britain has in tennis, with only one male player in the top 100 and one female in the top 200, Joyner thought it was about translating promising junior talent into senior talent.

“We have had good success in the junior game in singles and doubles but for some reason they have just not quite made the step up.”

He added: “I do believe however that once you start getting a few players up into the top 200 to 400 in the world, it can have a snowball effect on others. For instance, if you look at the 1980s there was a period of Swedish male dominance with Bjorn Borg and now there is the Spanish and French male dominance.”

With the continued success of such AEGON tournaments and prospective stars like Katie Boulter, the cycle of dominance could return to Britain sooner than expected.

Scarlett Werner went on to win the tournament in Bournemouth.

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West Hants Semi For Brit Windley

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Jade Windley stormed into the women’s semi-finals of the AEGON Pro Series tournament at The West Hants Club in Bournemouth.

Aegon-!0K-West-Hants-Tennis

Jade Windley: Through To The Semis

Windley, 21, from Lincolnshire, raced through her match against German Alina Wessel with a comprehensive 6-1. 6-2 success.

She said: “I’m pleased, it was a solid match for me and I got the job done. I’m usually on court for longer.”

At the start of the week Windley had to muster all of her stamina to recover from a set and 3-1 down to progress but did so winning 3-6, 7-5. 6-0.

The British number 19’s progression was all the more impressive considering the difficulties she has had when playing on clay courts.

“I hate the stuff but it’s just about getting used to it. At the start of the week I was even falling over on it.”

Windley is now set for a difficult contest against another German, in the 28-year-old number two seed, Scarlett Werner.

Windley describes her more experienced opponent as being a “proper clay courter who will play lots of high balls with plenty of spin”.

In the event, Windley and fellow Briton Francesca Stephenson lost out in the semis. Scarlett Werner went on to claim the $10,000 prize by beating Slovakia’s Romana Tabak.

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Magician Kasrani unveils all

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By Dominic Bryant

THE word magician conjures up the image of a man who holds the key to a world we do not understand. Ashur Kasrani, 31, is no different, except he holds the keys to so many more doors.

Kasrani is a self-proclaimed man of the people and with a smile that puts even the most nervous of interviewers at ease, you can soon see why. Yet when I arrive there is only one question: why has a man, who has graced venues around the world, performed private shows for the likes of Sir Paul McCartney and appeared in the Mitchell and Webb film The Magicians decided to live in Bournemouth?

Kasrani: a man of the people

Gazing out of his window to a view of Bournemouth beach, he explains: “I love to be by the sea. Bournemouth is such an artistic place. There is the sea, the forest and then all of the performers. I mean why would you not want to wake up to this every morning?”

But why he has not chosen the path of fame? “Look man, I don’t wanna portray a false image, I want to be accessible to everyone. I believe in universal equality, truth, intimacy and honesty.”

Kasrani, as he prefers to be known, (“It just sounds more magical, ya know, like Houdini”) is a man who always desires more. When asked what the plan is, his response is: “My plan is to have no plan.”

Yet just then, he is interrupted by a call, where I overhear his desire to open a magic workshop to teach youngsters not just the tricks but the theory and mindset behind magic. “I am a student of magic and always will be.”

It was nine years ago that Kasrani moved to Bournemouth and taught himself English. “Each day I would learn five new words from the dictionary.” Despite being a master of four other languages including Assyrian, it is obvious he is deeply proud of learning English.

Yet it does not stop here for the man born in Iraq. He has just written a book of not just magic, but poetry, lyrics, thoughts. “Please read it, offer me a critique and then you could write a foreword. We could work on it together.” He is always looking for a new idea and to share his abilities.

Kasrani speaks of growing up in Mesopotamia during the war between Iraq and Iran. “It taught me about life. I have seen so much violence. It made me appreciate love and kindness as the way to go forward.”

Kasrani has certainly travelled through many doors in his life and no doubt he will unlock many more in the future. The key to his success? “Communication,” he smiles and I feel I have unlocked a part of what drives Kasrani.

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Matt Kelly: dreaming of Brazil

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Up to Speed Journalism student profile: Matt Kelly

By Dominic Bryant


MATT KELLY is not one to shy away from making ambitious statements.

“I want to change the face of golf,” he says unflinchingly. “It is not just an old man’s sport.”

Matt Kelly: a sports journalist with a nifty line in hats

His desire is unquestionable and extends not just to golf but all sports.

He dreams of such things as the 2014 World Cup final in Brazil, and holding close to him a pen and notepad, scribbling furiously away, watching the match of all matches.

Matt is an enthusiastic, aspiring journalist. At the ripe old age of 23 he already has worked as a freelance writer for a local newspaper.

After four months as a freelance, Matt felt it was time he warranted paid full-time work, but he was turned down because he didn’t have an NCTJ qualification.

Not one to linger, he set his sights towards travelling, gaining a job in factory work making windows in the process, a job he described as “difficult, due to my incredible lack of common sense”.

After earning the money he needed Matt set off around Europe, South East Asia, Australia and New Zealand for seven months.

But the trip wasn’t all carefree travelling. While sitting in a shanty restaurant waiting to cross the border from Cambodia into Thailand, Matt witnessed a sight he could hardly believe.

“A man just ran straight up to this guy and shot him in the face,” he said. “I was literally shaking for ten minutes.”

Matt later found out the shooting was drugs-related and this reaffirmed his belief in being strongly against drugs.

But the experience didn’t sour Matt’s travels and after seven months of touring the globe, he returned to the south coast of England intent on gaining an NCTJ sports journalism qualification.

Citing the sports desk at The Guardian as the best in newspaper journalism, Matt envies the likes of Sid Lowe (a sports writer for The Guardian and World Soccer) who lives in Spain and reports on Barcelona and Real Madrid, as well as big matches in the Premiership.

“It’s the job you would just love to have,” he says with such enthusiasm that you know while it may still be a dream for Matt, it could soon be a reality.

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Split decision on top-end earnings

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By Dominic Bryant and Lee Ames


WITH footballers’ wages spiralling upwards and golfers earning millions before even hitting a ball, the question has to be: has sport lost touch with the common man? How do people in Bournemouth town centre feel when comparing these figures with bankers’ bonuses and the widespread cuts in local services?

While most felt sportsmen’s earnings were ludicrous and out of touch with reality, many did not blame them, saying they would accept such fees themselves. Paul West, 43, a fruit salesman from central Bournemouth, said: “The sportsmen are not to blame, it’s the people in charge who throw money at them. You ain’t gonna say no are you?”

IT student Liam McGarry, 22, agreed about excessive footballers wages. “Why not introduce a salary cap as in rugby? Teams wanting to succeed so badly means money is being thrown around. £35 million for Carroll? Ridiculous!”

Nigel Buchan, 21, a Big Issue seller, from Westbourne in Bournemouth, was one of the many sports fans who would love the opportunity to watch more live sport but couldn’t afford admission prices. “Footballers’ wages are great for the players but also the reason for expensive tickets. Fees paid to the likes of Tiger Woods are ultimately funded by us, the viewer.”

Echoing this view was Frances Owen, 74, from Poole, who added: “Wayne Rooney should give some money back and help out local communities.”

Mohmut Elhazir, 23, a shopkeeper from Branksome, Poole, was clear. “Of course they get too much,” he said.

And Chris Horne, 25, a golf centre assistant from Bournemouth, agreed. “The top end of sportsmen get far too much. It is unfair when thousands are unemployed. A balance needs to be struck. However, people like Tiger Woods bring millions of pounds into their sport.”

But not everyone felt that sportsmen’s earnings were excessive. David Steele, a 70-year-old pensioner from Reading, was more understanding. “It’s just a market, you get what the market is willing to pay. Players like David Beckham put their money back on top of the cake. He has increased attendances in some areas of America from 3,000 to 68,000.  If you compare sportsmen to film stars, what’s the difference?” He felt sportsmen’s’ earnings and bankers’ bonuses were separate issues. “For bankers to take bonuses is immoral.”

This view was shared by Bill Kavanagh, 52, a flower salesman from Southampton. “Bankers’ bonuses and footballers’ wages are on different levels of being wrong. They are two separate entities. If we didn’t do our job, we would get the sack not a bonus.”

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