Ben Camille this week met with Maltese tennis players Elaine Genovese and Liam Delicata who spoke about their passion for the sport and the challenges they face to try and become better players.
Elaine Genovese is one of the most successful and experienced tennis players in Malta.
During her career, she has managed to win ten medals for Malta in the Games of the Small States of Europe and is now looking forward to bringing more success during next year’s edition.
“I have quite enjoyed a lot of success in the Small Nations Games where I managed to win so far ten medals,” Genovese said.
“Winning a medal for your country in these Games is very special. In the last two editions, winning a silver medal with Francesca Curmi was a real memorable experience.
“But if I had to single out my biggest moments in my career it has to be when I won a Futures tournament in the doubles and also reaching the semi-finals in the singles event in the same circuit.”
Genovese said that she is now already focused on next year’s GSSE in Malta where she is hopeful of bringing more medal success for her country.
Asked what benefits the sport can give in one’s formation, Genovese said: “I think confidence. The fact that you are disciplined during training it instils confidence in you and that is a very important asset to have in your daily life.”
Liam Delicata has started practising tennis when he was only four years old with his father and since then he never looked back.
Delicata has so far managed to practise not only tennis but also plays football but he said that for now, he can still fulfil the demands of both sport.
Asked on what were his most memorable moments in his career, Delicata said: “Definitely winning a singles tournament in Vittoriosa last year. That tournament success meant a lot for me and eventually helped me to become Malta’s top-ranked player.”
Delicata said that every player passes through difficult times in his career but he believes that working harder in training is the right recipe to get back on track.
“Life in sport is not always simple,” Delicata said.
“There are times when you struggle for results. When I was 15-years-old I passed through a difficult spell and the only way I managed to get over it was by training even more.
“I used to have one or two sessions a week but then I increased my workload to four or five sessions every week and the hard work I put certainly paid off.
“There is no doubt that to reach my levels of performance I have today required a lot of hard work.”
Hottest games predictions
The challenge between Ben Camille and Times of Malta Sports Editor Valhmor Camilleri is heating up, as they continue trying to predict the results of the hottest games happening this weekend.
How did they do last week?
Valhmor Camilleri extended further his lead over Ben Camille after predicting that Napoli vs Inter would finish in a 1-1 draw while also that Hibernians would have the better of Valletta to collect 50 points.
On the other hand, Ben Camille only guessed that Napoli vs Inter would finish in a draw and that Hibernians would have the better of Valletta.
Total Scores after week 5
In the overall standings, Valhmor Camilleri is leading the way with 290 points while Ben Camille is trailing with 190 points.
We will keep you updated with a tally of their scores every week. A correct result (picking a win, draw or defeat) is worth 10 points. The exact score earns 40 points.
Malta vs Morocco (Saturday at 16.00)
The Malta women’s national team will be vying to make it two wins out two when they face Morocco in the VisitMalta Trophy at the Tony Bezzina Stadium.
Mark Gatt’s girls kicked off their triangular tournament commitments with a convincing 3-1 win over Moldova.
However, the Maltese girls are expecting a tougher test against the Moroccans who are currently ranked 78th in the world.
Coached by two-time UEFA Women’s Champions League winner with France’s Olympique Lyon, Reynald Pedros, Morocco will use this tournament as a preparation for this summer’s Africa Cup of Nations that they will host and which will serve as a qualification tournament for next year’s Women’s World Cup.
Tottenham Hotspur’s Rosella Ayane, former England youth, is also one of the key names in the Morocco side.
Ben’s prediction: Malta vs Morocco 1-0.
Valhmor Camilleri’s prediction: Malta vs Morocco 1-1.
Manchester City vs Tottenham (Saturday at 18.30)
Tottenham Hotspur face a daunting trip to Manchester City this weekend, desperate to arrest a losing streak that threatens to derail their season.
Antonio Conte has made no secret of his dissatisfaction over Tottenham’s dealings in the transfer market in January, saying his team has been “weakened”.
The former Chelsea and Inter boss started his reign in north London brightly, going unbeaten in the Premier League from November until January, but three straight league defeats have set alarm bells ringing.
Tottenham are not yet out of contention for a place in next season’s Champions League – they are seven points behind fourth-placed Manchester United with three games in hand – but they face an uphill task.
Spurs will seek to draw confidence from their home victory against Pep Guardiola’s men in August, when Nuno Espirito Santo was still at the helm, but few would tip them to interrupt City’s march towards a fourth title in five years.
Ben Camille’s prediction: Manchester City vs Tottenham 2-0.
Valhmor Camilleri’s prediction: Manchester City vs Tottenham 2-0.
Juventus vs Torino (Friday at 20.45)
Juventus kick off the weekend’s matches with the Turin derby on Friday night as they try to stay in the Champions League spots.
Massimiliano Allegri’s side stayed fourth thanks to Danilo’s last-gasp leveller at Atalanta on Sunday, and sit two points clear of last weekend’s opponents ahead of the visit of Torino.
The Bianconeri have shown improved in recent weeks and will hope they can claim bragging rights against their neighbouring rivals to not only stay in the hunt for top-four placing but also to boost their spirits ahead of the Champions League tie against Villarreal next week.
Torino, on the other hand, will be desperate to turn the tide after a disappointing run of results which saw them suffer defeats to Udinese (2-0) and Venezia (2-1).
The Granata are sweating to have their prolific scorer Andrea Belotti fit for today’s match.
Ben Camille’s prediction: Juventus vs Torino 1-0.
Valhmor Camilleri’s prediction: Juventus vs Torino 2-0.
Do you reckon you can beat Ben and Valhmor? Let us know your predictions for this weekend’s hottest matches in the comments below.
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