But half the playing surface at Stradey Park was frozen yesterday, despite hot air blowers and covers, and an inspection will be held this morning.Gareth Jenkins, the Llanelli coach, has selected Dave Hodges, the venerable American loose forward, rather than Dafydd Jones, the new Welsh international, in the back row. Salesi Finau, the Scarlets’ Tongan wing, is still troubled by a knee injury and will not play.Brendan Venter, the London Irish player-coach, has withdrawn from tonight’s must-win Heineken match against Edinburgh at Murrayfield because of a back problem, so Geoff Appleford joins Nick Burrows in a midfield further disrupted by the Exiles’ decision to rest Barry Everitt, their primary source of points Mark Mapletoft will play at outside-half.. A former executive at the Ministry of Sound has been appointed by the Lawn Tennis Association to find and nurture future champions. She will be responsible for bringing on more players at grassroots level at a time when British tennis is far from world-beating.Wimbledon’s massive annual profits are handed to the LTA for the development of British tennis. But in spite of the millions invested, only Tim Henman and the Canadian-born Greg Rusedski are ranked in the world’s top 100.Ms Miskin, 37, who left the Ministry of Sound last month after the dance empire shut its music magazine, acknowledged problems in overturning the sometimes fusty and middle class image of the game.She said: “I’m not blind to some of the challenges ahead but I feel privileged.

I think the LTA have made a very brave move, because they know what I’m about I have a rebellious streak. I never wear a suit and I didn’t wear a jacket when I was interviewed by John Crowther [the LTA's chief executive].”Ms Miskin is a part-time tennis player who represented Gloucestershire. “I think I know some of the difficulties youngsters face in British tennis,” she said.”I was brought up in Italy, where my father was posted, and kids hang out at tennis clubs in Italy. When we came back to Cheltenham for holidays I didn’t have the confidence to join a tennis club or sign on for tournaments. If it wasn’t for the kindness of one old gentleman, I never would have.

And I was told off by a woman for wearing a cap during one event.”Ms Miskin will work in tandem with whoever succeeds the Frenchman Patrice Hagelauer as director of performance. He resigned last month to coach his country’s Davis Cup team.The LTA intends to appoint a replacement before Wimbledon in June.. Marat Safin faces a race against time to be fit for next week’s Australian Open after withdrawing from the adidas International in Sydney with a right shoulder injury. With the first Grand Slam of the season starting on Monday, he said: “I cannot serve. It has hurt since the first day I came here, but it has gone on Hopefully, I’ll be ready for the Australian I need to stop for a few days. I’ll ask for a late start and try and recover.”In the women’s draw at the Sydney event, Belgium’s Kim Clijsters beat Chanda Rubin 6-1, 6-2, while her compatriot Justine Henin-Hardenne was made to work harder by the South African Amanda Coetzer before winning 6-4, 6-4. The winners meet in the semi-finals.The Russian Tatiana Panova, who knocked out Jennifer Capriati in the first round, booked her place in the other semi-final with a 6-3, 6-2, win over Olga Barabanschikova for a tie against Lindsay Davenport after the former world No 1 beat Daniela Hantuchova 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 in their quarter-final.In Hobart, the second seed Amy Frazier of the United States advanced to the Tasmanian International final with a 6-3, 6-4, win over the fourth seed Elena Likhovtseva of Russia.