This book is a (heavily) revised version of the Ph.D. thesis that I
completed at the University of St Andrews, so it seems apt to say some
things about my experience as a Ph.D. student. It is often said, after all,
that the time as a Ph.D. student is a lonely, isolated, tedious and even
depressing one. My experience was very different: I had a blast.
In St Andrews, tennis became once again an important part of my
life. I wish to thank Mr. Mike Aitken for being such a terrific coach
on and off the court (and Oasis tunes in the car!), Crikey Sam for the
most enjoyable doubles matches of my ‘career’ (‘champagne tennis’) and
Dr. B (B stands for backhand, boss and beast) for competitive training
sessions, well-deserved post-match drinks (he still owes me a couple of
pints though—a bagel, after all, counts as two) and, of course, invaluable
advice on both academic and non-academic issues.