Boys & Girls: British Junior National Championships 18s - 2008.

ForeverDelayed · Grand Slam Champion

RE: Boys & Girls: British Junior National Championships 18s - 2008.

Salmon · Tennis legend

His funding is secure to an extent with the LTA, don't you think? I doubt that he would play on Turkish clay if he had to pay for his plane fares all the time! (Not sure, of course.)

Funding isn't the priority for Evo and him right now.

I've always wondered as to who all receive assistance from the LTA and to what extent. It's a taboo subject, so we'll never know the reality.

-- Edited by Salmon at 20:47, 2008-08-14

Salmon · Tennis legend

Not that getting more sponsors is a bad thing, obviously! Although the trade off between 4 ATP points and sponsors you can get by winning this is certainly not positive.

ForeverDelayed · Grand Slam Champion

The LTA still fund him (I guess at least), but I guess when he turns 18 and drops out the junior system, his funding may drop slightly, so having the fact he's a 2-time national under-18 champion will look quite good.

There's no real reason for him to be playing here though, but just trying to find something good that he can take away from the event (other than the fact he's the best junior in the country again and the confidence from that)

Salmon · Tennis legend

Yes. And hopefully he has been trying to inject some more venom into his serve.

briteny · Intermediate Club Player

ForeverDelayed wrote:

The LTA still fund him (I guess at least), but I guess when he turns 18 and drops out the junior system, his funding may drop slightly, so having the fact he's a 2-time national under-18 champion will look quite good.

There's no real reason for him to be playing here though, but just trying to find something good that he can take away from the event (other than the fact he's the best junior in the country again and the confidence from that)

Sure money will boost his confidence too...seriously

richo · Junior player

didnt play 5 sets in semis as willis was still in doubles aswell and would have had to play the final of the doubles on the same day as the semis of singles

Salmon · Tennis legend

Okay. Makes sense, I guess.

Salmon · Tennis legend

(1)Daniel Cox (Lancs) bt (2) Marcus Willis (Berks) 3-6 7-5 6-2 6-1

There will be dancing in the streets of Roehampton tonight.

(1)Tara Moore (Yorks) bt (4) Jade Windley (Lincs) 4-6 6-4 6-1

Salmon · Tennis legend

Dan should have tanked the second and tried to win it in five as that was the only thing he could have gained from here. Still, playing a four setter is a decent enough experience (although hardly a substitute for ATP points).

At least Tara is developing some consistency these days.

Congrats to both.

Salmon · Tennis legend

From the LTA site...

Cox said: "I didn't start the match very well but I really found my rhythm in the middle of the second set and played three good sets after that. Marcus played well but I got tougher as the match went on. I'd never played a best of five sets match before in a competition but I enjoyed the challenge. Winning this event last year was brilliant but it was important for me to win it again this year in my own age group."

Moore said: "I played a great match today. Jade came out firing in the first set and I had to play really well to keep up with her. I've played some of my best tennis this summer and winning this event means a lot to me."

Cox and Tara.

-- Edited by Salmon at 16:15, 2008-08-15

briteny · Intermediate Club Player

Good job Tara & Jade

Tara looks kind of tired today...

Mervatron · Masters Series Champion

Tara :)

Happycynic · Pro player

Go Tara.

I hope she enjoyed her successful time being good to the LTA (europe u16s, I ask you), and now gets back onto the senior events a bit, before she loses that 'edge' she was so nicely building.

Tennis fan · Newbie

Just had a long flight and so I may be in a bad mood, but is anyone else worried about the size of some of the top British junior players? Cox is the obvious example. He can't be more than 5'6"! Have the LTA learnt nothing from the relative failures of the past? I say relative because to get inside the top 500 is still a massive achievement (players like Hilton and Flanagan), but if the LTA are really interested in finding top 100 players, they need to be realistic about the physicality of the game.