Week 3 - Challenger (50k) Miami, Green clay

Count Zero · Tennis legend

RE: Week 3 - Challenger (50k) Miami, Green clay

Drew · Jan 17, 2008

Count Zero wrote:

if they say no they might not be in the team

it would be quite funny if alex and baker said sod off to JL, he'd be shafted then

No count...we (the supporters) would be shafted.

Im proud to be British and want the best team v the Argies.

If we had 3 top 20 players the training camp would not happen. We dont and even though Im not JL's biggest fan I would do the same. Get the hopefuls early, get them ready and get that team spirit going and make your selection.

Count Zero · Tennis legend

i want a strong team too, but his comments dont show repsect towards the other professional members, it basicaly reads that he is threatening them with their place in the team, how does that foster good team spirit. Of course such a tactic wont work on Andy cause the team needs him more. he could turn up friday morning and decide he wants to play in a pink tutu and JL would have to let him in.

imoen · Admin: Moderator+Tennis Legend

I'm not saying the training camp is a bad idea. I think it's great and can be really beneficial to the players. But like count, my beef with JL is his attitude and his comments. It's more than just not commending them on the sacrifice they make for DC, it's outright insulting them and that's what I don't like.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Count Zero wrote:

Steven, heres a bit in an article from the guardain that alludes to our earlier posts:

Britain will set up a training camp in Viña del Mar a week before the tie, although Andy Murray may not join them until later. "It's a different matter for the younger players in the team," said Lloyd. "I can push them a bit and if they say no they might not be in the team.

"I've said to Andy that I would like to see him in Chile and he's going to think about it. It would be great if he did come for some practice matches and training but, if he doesn't, Andy's a big enough pro to show up in Buenos Aires on the Sunday in good shape."

i take it by younger he means lower ranked as i think Andy would be the youngest in the team. is Jamie M older then Alex? i'm not sure.

No, he's 21, compared with Alex's 23, but he's in the team as a specialist doubles player & wouldn't come into contention for any of the singles rubbers...

I seem to have stirred up a bit of a hornets' nest with my comments to the Count yesterday. That was never my intention, but I stand by them because Alex gets me so

! I haven't written him off, but genuinely despair whenever he seems to get on a roll (this year's AO qualies, Queen's last year...) & then goes & falls flat on his @rse when we least expect it (à la Andy on Monday, in fact!)! cry

He's obviously got bags of natural talent, so believe me when I say that I'm as anxious as anyone on here to see him start to realise his undoubted potential & progress to the more rarefied heights of the world's top 100, thus dispensing with the need to qualify for the Grand Slams. That said, unless he somehow manages to sort himself out mentally & starts to string together runs of consistent performances, he's going nowhere much beyond his present level & will never improve on his performance against Rodders at Queen's last year, more's the pity... hmm

Count Zero · Tennis legend

21 wow, i really thought jamie was older.

alex lost in the dubs 75 75, quite tight vs the 2nd seeds, shame tho you's guess just a few points againt them at the thin end of the set, would have been nice to take it into a tb anyhting can happen then :(

i agree alex must be one of the most frustration players around, but he is working hard and trying to turn it around.

imoen · Admin: Moderator+Tennis Legend

Don't worry Stircrazy, it's always good to get discussion going and that's impossible if no one ever owns up to a contraversial (and in this case wrong

only kidding) opinion.

steven · Tennis legend

Count Zero wrote:
Britain will set up a training camp in Viña del Mar a week before the tie, although Andy Murray may not join them until later. "It's a different matter for the younger players in the team," said Lloyd. "I can push them a bit and if they say no they might not be in the team.

"I've said to Andy that I would like to see him in Chile and he's going to think about it. It would be great if he did come for some practice matches and training but, if he doesn't, Andy's a big enough pro to show up in Buenos Aires on the Sunday in good shape."

That just says it all, doesn't it! What it really means is that JL has no ontrol over Andy whatsoever, so if he wants to feel important, he has to order the lower-ranked players about, and who cares if it ends up slowing down their run into the top 100, he can blame the players for that.

Like Bethan, I think it's great for a training camp to be on offer and I'm sure some players get a lot out of it, I just think it would be better to have some flexibility rather than ordering them about as if they are little children. I certainly see no point in threatening someone with being left out if they enter a tournament the week before DC week because they have points to defend or genuinely expect to do well there.

Count/Stircrazy - it's tempting to think of Boggo as the British version of 'Dammit' Gasquet - which of course says everything about the gulf between French and British tennis at the moment!

-- Edited by steven at 01:42, 2008-01-18