The Times and other media

angry1 · Lower Club Player

RE: The Times

Count Zero · Tennis legend

yes i saw that too, i assume he was meaning other than andy.

angry1 · Lower Club Player

Count Zero wrote:

yes i saw that too, i assume he was meaning other than andy.

I expect you're right.Maybe a previous article had the disclaimer that any future comment on the state of British tennis was excluding Andy.

ForeverDelayed · Grand Slam Champion

angry1 wrote:

Count Zero wrote:

next net post

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/tennis/article6736550.ece

Surely this bit -

"What is more, three years remain to the London Olympic Games and the chances of a British player standing on a rostrum in the singles are 1 in whatever figure you care to think of. There is a smidgin more of an opportunity in the doubles but it would take something akin to a miracle to deliver on that."
which states that Andy has almost zero chance of winning even a bronze at the 2012 olympics is rather strange isn't it?I realise he flopped in Beijing but that's a hell of a claim IMO.Given Neil seems a big fan I assume I've missed something but I can't see what.

I think that statement regarding the doubles is pretty ridiculous to be honest, and to call a chance of a British medalist in that event akin to a miracle is over hyping it far too much.

In Bejing, the silver medalists were Johansson and Aspelin... Andy Murray is a far better doubles player than Johansson, while Hutchins is on a similar level to Aspelin at the moment, and in three years could be a lot better. And given the improvement of Fleming/Skupski and the way they are going through the challengers, in three years time, there's every chance they could be a top doubles pairing.

And with the Olympics happening on the grass, it greatly reduces the number of players who have a legitimate shot at a medal, and I'm sure quite a few players won't play the Olympics as a result of it, so given the right draw, anything could happen.

I presume he isn't talking about the women's event here, as in three years time, Laura Robson should be a pretty good player, and with the event on grass, you'd imagine she could do some damage if she is as good as we think she could be.

Count Zero · Tennis legend

do you think boggo could get a wild card

ForeverDelayed · Grand Slam Champion

I'd imagine we'd get whoever we have in the main draw and possibly one ITF awarded wild card, which would probably go to whoever is ranked highest at the time, and we'd probably get two doubles teams.

But Boggo will be top 10 by then so clearly won't need the wild card smile

Count Zero · Tennis legend

Ignoring the bit about the Olympics and boggo's guaranteed medal, what do people think of the rest of the plan? its clear something needs to be done, and i think giving the clubs better incentives to produce winning players is a big part of that, from what i can gather the only current incentive is help develop a winning player, you get a pat on the back and have the guy taken away from you.

ForeverDelayed · Grand Slam Champion

Count Zero wrote:

Ignoring the bit about the Olympics and boggo's guaranteed medal, what do people think of the rest of the plan? its clear something needs to be done, and i think giving the clubs better incentives to produce winning players is a big part of that, from what i can gather the only current incentive is help develop a winning player, you get a pat on the back and have the guy taken away from you.

I'm not too sure how big a role the clubs do play is actually developing young talent. I'm sure that as soon as someone spots a young player who looks to have a lot of talent, they will end up training at tennis centre's etc which will do more of the job than the club will, and the tennis centre is set up partly with the aim of trying to develop young players.

Perhaps the financial incentives that he suggests could be offered, and I do like the idea of raising the prize money in the British tour events as it means that better players will play it, thus raising the standard of players they get to play against, and winning more money means they can enter better events.

And the idea of a equivalent of the Bundesliga is a great idea and one that I'd love to see happen here. Given the right backing and support behind it, it could be a success and give the British public more of a chance to see top class tennis, while also giving the British players a chance to play against better players and earn some more money.

Robxon · Lower Club Player

This article is a few days old but have not noticed any reference to it. Not from the Times but from the Telegraph. A comparison of life for the World and British No. 2s.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/atptour/6044717/James-Ward-Britains-No-2-leads-a-very-different-life-from-Andy-Murray-the-No-1.html

A nice bit of exposure for James!

The Knight · Challenger qualifying

the telegraph rather than the times but here's some exposure for Oliver Golding:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/daviscup/6234319/Oliver-Golding-takes-centre-stage-on-the-junior-tennis-circuit.html

-- Edited by The Knight on Sunday 27th of September 2009 12:10:30 PM

helki · Futures qualifying

A few thoughts from Danny Boy wink

on the DC, among other things.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/tennis/article-1216318/Rebel-backpack-Britains-Davis-Cup-hopes-rest-world-No-303-Daniel-Evans-Andy-Murray-wont-face-Lithuania.html

Shhh · Challenger level

Lloyd said: I dont expect Andy to be in Lithuania. So, Dan has a great opportunity to be No 1 without him around, and playing Davis Cup tennis will get him wildcard invitations to other tournaments.

Interesting commenst I thought...........and a good article!

indiana · Tennis legend

Interesting article and interesting theory by Lloyd re wildcards.

I'd be rather surprised if appearing in the Davis Cup and losing to two Poles frankly had that much effect.

I see that Dan says : "Hopefully, by March, I will be the highest ranked Britrish player behind Andy".

Well, he would do well to work on his ranking by March, by winning tennis matches of which he has only won 5 since the Jersey Challenger in March, especially as these title points come off on April 5th.

Admittedly one was a decent week in the Lexington Challenger in July when he beat WRs 133 and 208, one of only 3 occasions since the Jersey Challenger ( which he of course won ) that he has beaten a player in the top 1000, The other was ranked 506.

In Monday week's rankings that Jersey Challenger will account for over half his ranking points ( 75 out of 149 ). It was a great achievement at the time but say you took out any points for that week, he would barely be in the top 10 in GB rankings.

It is all very well being confident and feisty, which Andy apparently relates to and admires, as is reinforced in the article.

But it is high time, he started again producing more on a tennis court as various others have been doing more than ever lately. or he could be going in a different direction in the rankings.

helki · Futures qualifying

So this is how the money's spent. wink

Not from The Times, but not worth starting a new thread!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/tennis/article-1217553/Anyone-lunch-LTA-landed-500-000-free-meals.html

-- Edited by helki on Friday 2nd of October 2009 03:38:41 PM

Count Zero · Tennis legend

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/tennis/article-1220431/Baker-boy-Jamie-t-stop-winning.html

daily mail picking up what we already know