Boggo to open a tennis academy?

Salmon · Tennis legend

Boggo to open a tennis academy?

steven · Tennis legend

That's quite a find! You've got the gist, but for what it's worth, the bit about the Brits (i.e. «Afin de nous maintenir en Prénationale, nous avons fait appel à du renfort. Ainsi, Alex Bogdanovic, un Britannique classé ATP, qui cherchait un club français proche de Londres pour faire des échanges entre Londres et Miami où il va ouvrir une académie de tennis, nous a rejoints. Deux joueurs anglais, Jamy Whiteford (-4/6) et lespoir Lewis Burton (assimilé -30), vont également se joindre à nous. Nous sommes en contact avec un agent pour dautres signatures. ») says, in answer to "What are the club's ambitions?":

"In order to keep ourselves at Prénationale level (*) we have called in reinforcements. Thus, Alex Bogdanovic, an ATP-ranked Brit who was looking for a French club close to London (+) in order to do exchanges between London and Miami, where he is going to open a tennis academy, has joined us. (#) Two English players, Jamie Whiteford (-4/6 (@)) and the promising Lewis Burton (assimilé -30 (@)) are also going to join us. We are using an agent to get other players to sign."

(*) Coup Droit can probably give us a better idea of exactly what this means but I think it's the top regional level before you get to the national French team championship divisions

(+) the club concerned is a few km inland from Calais, hence the 'close to London' bit isn't quite as much of a stretch as it may look

(#) in the sense of playing for them, I think, with the idea of doing the tennis equivalent of language exchanges between them and the academy he is in the process of setting up in Miami

(@) ratings - again, I'm relying on CD to explain!

Salmon · Tennis legend

Cheers!

This possibly explains Boggo's recent penchant for playing so much in the USA, particularly those clay events in Florida. Well, good luck to him in his venture, but I'm hoping that he'll be able to play on for a few more years, no matter how sporadic it is.

Hopefully CD and A1TA will be able to tell us more about the club scene in France and Burton's involvement.

LordBrownof · Futures level

Wow, really exciting. If he needs a project or communications manager, do tell him I'm available...;)

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Just been reading it ! What sleuthing on your part to find it !!!! And, yes, you're quite right, as is steven of course.

Got confused about the 'close to London, but then found it on the map and, being Calais, made sense.

Yes, Pre-nationale (now oficially called Division Qualificative au Championnat de France nationale 4, I think) is the top regional championship that qualifies teams to play on National Division 4 (the lowest of the national league divisions).

It sounds like Boggo, Lewis and Jamie have signed to play for SC Ardres's team. (normally about 5 matches).

However, I'm amazed they're paying money (presumably reasonable money ?) to buy players for Pre-national level - it's a good level but there are 4 national divisions above (the first division is, itself, split into three divisions - 1st,, 1A and 1B but they are all small so really equate to one in total, for counting purposes.). As comparison, Marcus played last year for Capdenac (near Rodez) who were in national Division 3.

Looking at the licence list, Lewis and Jamie are definitely now members of Ardres. Boggo is still listed at his Dunkerque club.

Lewis has been given an administrative ranking (assimilé) of -30. This is the best ranking just below National ranking level. National rankings (N numbers) are attributed (effectively) to players ranked about WR500 and 'worse' (below the top 25/30 players, they are not individual rankings but 'group' rankings).
It's an administrative ranking because it is not based on actual results. i.e. normally your ranking is automatic as a function of your matches, either domestic or international BUT only against other players with a French ranking. But obviously if you're a good player who's never played in France (or against someone with a French ranking) you can't just play against beginners ! So the ranking authority considers your file and attributes you an administrative one.

Again, last year (sporting year 2013) Marcus was also ranked -30. The new (sporting year 2014) rankings came out in France this Monday and Marcus is now N45.
(Last year Boggo was ranked N38 and seems to be N43 this year).

Jamie Whiteford is actually listed in the new rankings as -2/6, not -4/6.

This is a few ranks below Lewis. It goes 0, -2/6, -4/6, -15, -30, N rankings (and goes up from 0 too in the other direction). This is a pyramid structure, not linear, so going up each jump is a big deal.

The academy sounds very exciting - no idea about that. Sounds like Boggo is going to be traveling back and forth a lot.

Think that's all . ..

Spectator · All-time great

Thanks so much for this, CD. Great, as always, to have your expertise. One question, just so that I understand. You say:

"National rankings (N numbers) are attributed (effectively) to players ranked about WR500 and 'worse' (below the top 25/30 players, they are not individual rankings but 'group' rankings)."

By which I take it you mean that N Numbers for those players above WR500 or so reflect their actual rankings, whereas below that they are attributed? I'd initially read it as meaning that N numbers were simply for those players ranked below 500, but if Mr Bogdanovic and Mr Willis both have them, that can't be the case.

Sorry for being obtuse.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

No, sorry Spectator (and it's not you !!! the system isn't straight-forward).

All the N rankings (indeed all the other rankings too) are given to anyone, are 'real' rankings and are not a function at all of your ATP ranking. They are based on actual French-based results. (The 'administrative' rankings are a special case, see Lewis, but can also be given to anyone - i.e. if you are 8.1 ranked in the UK and want to play in a local tournament in France you can apply for an administrative ranking so that you don;t have to come in in the first round of beginners - French draws are progressive). If you have a french federation licence number and you play someone else with such a number that result will form part of the database for your ranking calculation. Even if the other player deons't have one but it's a domestic tournament, that result will be logged. (But the results/rankings are validated by a committee, as are all the rankings mentioned, because they try and juggle the numbers to keep it balanced).

What I meant by the WR 500 figure is that, just as a general rule of thumb, so people have some form of comparison, players who are ranked WR 500 or better will almost certainly have a N National ranking. Whereas players who are WR 700, say, will probably be -30. However, this can also be very misleading because a top French national player (who doesn't play internationally) may well be N50, say, and UNR in the ATP. This doesn;t mean that he's WR500 equivalent (although actually some are or very close - and beat these players in big domestic tournaments) - it just means that he's got an excellent national results sheet.

Spectator · All-time great

Got it! Thank you.

Salmon · Tennis legend

Thank you, CD!

I suppose I could have asked this in the Loughborough thread, too, but how strong is the top level of the club circuit? Just give me a few names and I'll get the idea, I suppose.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

From one end to the other:

The Brit, James Allemby, has been playing smallish local tournaments (prize money in total of about 1000 euros). He's come in directly in the last 16 or quarters and lost in his first or second match practically every time. This is NOT to be mean to James but he's been trying qualie futures and recently got a MD in Rwanda (?) so it's just an idea of level

In one of the big Bordeaux tournaments in summer (total prize money of about 10,000 euros) the four top seeds were : Nicolas Devilder, Laurent Rochette, Augustin Genesse and Charles-Antoine Brezac (who won).

Salmon · Tennis legend

Thanks. It looks like the bigger events are somewhat like the French 15K+H events in terms of strength.

A1 tennis academy · Satellite level

Would be interested in a collaboration with Alex ( boggo) as we would love a foreign training camp and Calais nice & close but its unlikely that Lewis ( burts ) could commit fully to french league because both Lewis & Marcus are contracted by A1 to play all our A1 Pharmaceuticals Aegon men's team matches in 2014 .

I am keen to encourage GB players to stay in Uk and support & raise the standard of GB men's

Team tennis . Matt byford head of Aegon team tennis at the LTA has been brilliant and I am keen to

Support this highly successful tournament our men's 1 & 2 players must commit to all

Our 6 Aegon group matches and the finals .

Lewis & Marcus will be the spearhead of our campaign and both the national indoors & Aegon team events are useful opportunities to experiment and allow our Uk based coaches to attend & evaluate their progress

In 2013 Marcus only played 2 of our Aegon team matches because he was contracted to his French club our new 2014 player sponsorship contract excludes playing in french & German club leagues by Marcus Willis & Lewis . I maybe willing to lapse this ruling if we have sufficient cover & if it provides a significant contribution to player funding

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Salmon wrote:
Thanks. It looks like the bigger events are somewhat like the French 15K+H events in terms of strength.

Well, definitely not as deep.

Those top 4 seeds came in directly in the last 16, although there were another 4 National ranked players who came in a round before.

It's often a bit geographical i.e. players tend to play their local tournaments (or where they want to go on holiday or have family to visit/put them up). They usually clash with other big tournaments or futures events so it's all a question of choice.

Just to say, the tournament (and all of them) are open to anyone. You and I can play. In fact, they usually have about 300-400 inscriptions. So the first rounds are beginners, moving up through intermediaries etc. etc.

And what's nice is that they have a division split too so if, maybe, 8 fourth division players move through to the third division table - and lose - those eight still play a 'fin de tableau', i.e. they play off amongst themselves to see who wins the fourth division part of the tournament (which gives nice prizes to winner/finalist/semi etc). This means that although you have absolutely NO chance of winning the tournament (obviously!) you enter, get ranking points for matches won and have the chance to win nice prizes in the part you're in.

Spectator · All-time great

The more you write, CD, the more I begin to understand the depth of tennis in France. Sounds like a marvelous system for encouraging people to begin, to keep going, and to push themselves to see how far they can go. You've made comments earlier about some issues in selection/training at elite levels, but one can certainly see why players not among the most highly rated, who might have given up elsewhere, keep going and make breakthroughs.