Grass does strange things to people. For some, even the very best, it can reduce them to gibbering wrecks and render their otherwise unstoppable games both vulnerable and flimsy. And then there are others.
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Alison Riske falls into the 'others' category, especially this year. The new champion of the Libema Open in the Netherlands (of which more in a moment) had had a good start to the year (she was the runner up in Shenzhen) and then it all ground to a halt during the clay court season. But then her toes touched the green grass of Surbiton a couple of weeks ago. No one has been able to stop her since.

Asked at the end of our interview how he feels about making the most of himself over the next bunch of seasons, the 23-year-old Norrie responds, “I am lucky to be traveling the world and playing tennis for a living. ... I am grateful to be where I am right know and trying to make the most of it. Everything is going my way and that is how I want to keep it. I don’t ever want to get ahead of myself.”