Week 20 - Futures F2(M) - Syros, Greece

Salmon · Tennis legend

Week 20 - Futures F2(M) - Syros, Greece

RedCabbage · Club Coach

I'm sure with a bit of publicity futures could draw at least a small local audience. There are interested people out there. If there were any futures tournaments in my immediate area you wouldn't be able to keep me away.

johnnylad · Tennis legend

I don't understand the business ins and outs of it, but as a fan I totally agree. I would go to more if they were nearer me and I'd take people with me too. I'd pay as well to be honest as a £5 note for a day of tennis would be better entertainment than my £30 for 2hrs of premiership football!

Salmon · Tennis legend

Yes, I am sure that ALL of us posting on these boards would pay a little money to see Challengers and Futures (say, 5 pounds a day for a Challenger and 2 for a Futures), but how many others would?

To the average tennis fan, there is nothing worth seeing outside the top 100 and people like Morgan, Goodall, Ward etc. are rubbish.

If the ATP and the federations would do something to "jazz up" Challenger and Futures, we could have proper coverage and more importantly, a few hundred more people would be able to earn a living out of the game.

But that's not going to happen anytime soon. In spite of being one of the richest federations, the LTA can't even put an article on the main page when there's a Challenger being played.

Shhh · Challenger level

We stage about 20 futures in this country, and half a dozen challengers. Most are free to enter, why dont you go along?

Ratty · County player

The economics and sociology of sport are interesting.

In this country, maybe 2,500 soccer players earn a living from playing, about 500 rugby (league & union) and about 300 cricketers. Then maybe 20 golfers (is golf a sport? - what was that definition - if you can smoke a cigarette while playing, it ain't a sport), 10 tennis players, and the odd athlete like Paula Radcliffe. And that's about it.

Why? Most football matches are godawfully dull (like the Cup Final yesterday) and even the fans will agree. Lords is half empty today.

Why isn't tennis more popular? Who knows.

Salmon · Tennis legend

Shhh wrote:

...why dont you go along?

Who? Me?

I don't live in Britain.

I don't know if you were referring to people in general.

Ratty wrote:

if you can smoke a cigarette while playing, it ain't a sport

-- Edited by Arka at 14:18, 2007-05-20

Salmon · Tennis legend

Childs won by 2-0 retired.

I am happy for Lee as he is due some success but this is scary.

Hope Kasiri is all right.

RedCabbage · Club Coach

I would have liked Kasiri to win, but it's still been a good week.

I think one of the main problems with tennis tournaments is that they go on all week so people are going to be at work for most of them. Even so, if there were a Brighton futures tournament I would very probably take a week off! Maybe I'll go to the next Sutton tourny since it's not too far away.

I agree completely about the media coverage making the difference. If your average joe saw that GBR are getting winners week in/week out in juniors/futures/challengers etc then the Boggos, Bloomers, Kasiris and Bakers of this world would become known to the general populace and people would want to go and see them.

If challengers and futures could be giving the same relative status to the Slams/Masters as football divs 1 and 2 are to the Premiership then we would be getting somewhere. I hope that this is one of the things on the LTA's (and ITF's) agenda.

Salmon · Tennis legend

Yeah, and the moment these tournaments would have reasonably big crowds, sponsors would be interested and prize moneys would automatically increase.

Drew · May 20, 2007

What a wait for the result....and a poor one.....2-0 retired is not what we wanted...I would have been happy for a tight 3 set win for either.

As for attending futures events...I have only been at one the other week in Edinburgh. No charge for entry. Good facilities...indoors and outdoors...but thats rare I think.

The LTA should be seeking to have every single UK Futures and Challenger with a sponsor, a web site (or dedicated page on the LTA site) with some sort of either livescoring (definately for CH) or update scores and local and national press releases.

There is not that many of them. So would not be too hard to arrange.

If the LTA want to pay me to do it then that would be okay with me. (As long as I could work from home).

My CV is being typed up right now....

johnnylad · Tennis legend

Childs gets a title. Well done to him.

Gutted for Kasiri. Hope his shoulder doesn't keep him out for longer than 1 week

imoen · Admin: Moderator+Tennis Legend

Bravo to Childs. A real shame it had to be like that though. i second the hope that Kasiri's shoulder isn't too serious. It looks like he decided to give the match a go but realised he couldn't almost immediately.

There are no pictures on the Greek lta yet but I'll check again tomorrow and post the links to any I find.

Shhh · Challenger level

Arka wrote:

Shhh wrote:

...why dont you go along?

Who? Me? I don't live in Britain.

I don't know if you were referring to people in general.

Ratty wrote:

if you can smoke a cigarette while playing, it ain't a sport

-- Edited by Arka at 14:18, 2007-05-20

Yeah sorry that probably came out wrong. The LTA do a lousy job of promoting futures/challengers to fans. Any supporters turning up can appear odd to them. But I am sure most are free, and I have been to a few and, if you are interested in ALL British Tennis (which all here are) its a great few hours.

The thread earlier was people saying if they were just a fiver they'd go. All I meant was they are actually free, so go along. I am sure anyone from here would enjoy themselves (I know several go already), maybe more so than a high level tournament because watching alongside other players and coaches makes it an even more "real" experience if you get my drift?

Salmon · Tennis legend

Yeah, very much. I've always said that given the choice between watching a Brit play at a Slam and at a Futures, I'll choose the latter (there may be some exceptions to that).