Cancer battler a spur for win
HEINEKEN OPEN doubles winner Colin Fleming emulated Andy Murray yesterday by dedicating his win to his usual playing partner Ross Hutchins, who has been diagnosed with cancer.
Hutchins’ plight has touched professional tennis players around the world as the popular 27-year-old Brit embarks on his battle against Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
He has just started chemotherapy in the UK, so his regular doubles partner for the past two years, Fleming, needed a new colleague and teamed up with Brazilian Bruno Soares just before the start of the Heineken Open.
They beat Johan Brunstrom from Sweden and Denmark’s Frederik Nielsen 7-6 7-6 in yesterday’s final, providing Fleming with the most emotional title he has experienced.
Murray, a good friend of Hutchins, dedicated his singles win last weekend in Brisbane to him and Fleming brought a lump to many in the ASB Tennis Arena yesterday by following suit.
‘‘It means a lot to me for a lot of reasons,’’ Fleming said afterwards. ‘‘It’s nice just to be able to win and send little messages of support to him. It’s all about positivity and everyone in the tennis world is supporting him.
‘‘He has a tough fight ahead, but he’s very positive and I know he’s going to get through it.’’
Despite Hutchins starting chemotherapy on Thursday, Fleming kept in touch every day from Auckland. ‘‘The fight has begun,’’ Fleming said of Hutchins.
‘‘Rosco’s comeback has started and I’m sure he’s going to be really strong. He’s a really strong and positive person. He’s got all the tools to overcome it.
‘‘Looking back he obviously had symptoms of this illness but neither of us were to know at the time what was happening.
‘‘I think as tennis players, if we went to the doctor every time we had a pain it would be ridiculous.’’
Fleming will partner Andy Murray’s brother, Jamie, next week at the Australian Open and although he says he needs to plan who he’ll partner for the foreseeable future, he has given his word to Hutchins that they’ll team up again as soon as the Brit’s back on his feet.
‘‘We are planning only for him to be back playing, we’re not considering any other circumstances,’’ Fleming said.