Ratty, try giving just a little respect to some honst views from folk that do know their tennis and can talk intelliigently about it.  Try other forums if you really want to see tosh .

You really did get out of bed the wrong side this morning 

Anyway, re rankings, and they don't tell all at such early stages of careers ( and so much is changing in kis's lives other than just how the tennis authorities treat them ) I think you'ed find that the info on Jamie Murray's position in the world is true.

Of course,Andy ended up in Barcelona for far longer than 4 months !!!  Your info on this training bloc seems to suggest almost that he only ever spent 4 months in Barcelona which I'm sure you know is certianly not the case.

You do have a pont re I am aware that he didnt eventually like how he was being coached but the overall tenjis envionment I think did so much for him at that age..

I will admit I don't know very much at all about the internal workings of the LTA. I do know that not much in British tennis seems to improve and they are the overall tennis authorities. 

Yes, govermnent funding in schools is relevant, so is well targetted LTA funding in tennis for kids.

Personally, even above, I have always shoved still quite a bit of responsibility to players themselves, but don't kid me all is anything like well with the LTA.

I try not to work in cliches mate, but just look at what I see.

Guess this should go in here...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/8118956.stm

An article from the BBC, on tennis, that actually is factually correct (shock horror!!!) but also makes some points regarding the state of British tennis and how it is actually getting better.

Shame the article from their tennis correspondent Jonathan Overend isn't quite as good and manages to have another pop at Boggo in it.

Well, if I was going to quibble, they've used last week's ranking for Georgie and this week's ranking for everybody else (I haven't checked the juinor ones), but I'm not going to do that because it's the best attempt at an objective, researched article about British tennis that I;ve seen on the BBC site. The overpaid BBC presenters should take note ...

I can imagine Pietersen would have been a startlingly good tennis player, what with his speed, height and hand-to-eye coordination, not forgetting his wonderful wristwork and reflexes

-- Edited by The Knight on Thursday 25th of June 2009 06:51:05 PM

Ratty wrote:

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Big Kev would be simply awesome on the tennis court, probably inventing the tennis equivalent of the reverse sweep (backhand serve?) along the way ...

Pakistan, India, South Africa, West Indies, New Zealand, Sri Lanka - all rubbish at tennis too!!!

Hmmm, isn't there another country as well?

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hmm but they can hardly talk about underachieving, only Hewitt and the Gooch are in t100...mind you they do have Tomic

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/8119879.stm

a article highlighting some of the issues for juniors, and also for some reason a photo of alex with the caption that he has never won at Wimbledon

Bits of this are silly (though in places quite funny), but the writer makes some good points particularly towards the end: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/columnists/rod_liddle/article6589781.ece