Week 44 - Great Britain F23 ($10,000) - Edgbaston (hard)

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

RE: Week 44 - Great Britain F23 ($10,000) - Edgbaston (hard)

A1 tennis academy · Satellite level

indiana wrote:
Gary, if that above question was aimed at me, given my post immediately preceded it, and I did discuss Isaac Stoute before :

No, I have been nowhere near Edgbaston, indeed have not left Edinburgh in the last week.

No it was not aimed at you just wondered if it was someone on the forum? The good news is after yesterday's doubles a number of spectators came up and criticised Marcus & said working with the wrong player . Although at the time it's annoying if used correctly it's Rock fuel .

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

A1 tennis academy wrote:
indiana wrote:
Gary, if that above question was aimed at me, given my post immediately preceded it, and I did discuss Isaac Stoute before :

No, I have been nowhere near Edgbaston, indeed have not left Edinburgh in the last week.
No it was not aimed at you just wondered if it was someone on the forum? The good news is after yesterday's doubles a number of spectators came up and criticised Marcus & said working with the wrong player . Although at the time it's annoying if used correctly it's Rock fuel .

I like Isaac and I know his camp felt that he was unfairly treated by the LTA so maybe it was some of his supporters/mates who came up to you but I doubt the people saying it had any clue.

As someone else who doesn't have a clue, obviously, I think you're sponsoring the right guy! Isaac has a lot of talent but he's too young - Marcus is the perfect age and profile.

indiana · Tennis legend

Yes, Marcus has had a very good year with all the support of Gary. It has certainly been working well.

I do worry a little if Gary being quite so bigh profile such as on here, and particularly commenting on other players ( and then maybe because of this getting feedback like he got yesterday ), is entirely helpful for Marcus's focus. Still, generally quite entertaining and interesting for us.

A1 tennis academy · Satellite level

A1 tennis academy wrote:
Well done Scott clayton made a final with A1 Aegon player Toby Martin earlier in the season
I am hoping that Scott has not broken up
With Toby M & they can stay together and lift doubles titles

Scot got a doubles title with Toby in Israel recently so starting pick up some useful Doubs points

-- Edited by A1 tennis academy on Thursday 31st of October 2013 05:11:58 PM

A1 tennis academy · Satellite level

Coup Droit wrote:
I guess that a lot will depend also on how much he has enjoyed this coaching stint and how suited he feels that he is to it, how talented he is as it.

If he's excited by the job, and the feedback is really positive, then he'll obviously be more likely to call a halt to pro tennis.

Playing a couple of tournaments (Edgbaston or elsewhere) may well crystalise things too - one way or another.

Sloane is World no11 and has future GS title ambitions struggling with max 10,000 US dollars prize Money as a player compared with 1500 UD dollars a week coaching makes no brainer - opportunities like that don't come along very often

A1 tennis academy · Satellite level

Salmon wrote:
The Race to the Year End No. 5

Corrie - 126
Rice - 120
Willis - 117
Kedmund - 110
Hewitt - 94
Award - 87
Gabb - 87
*Klein - 86

Klein probably has a higher ceiling than most of the other British players, so he's certainly capable of making a late surge.

The increased number GB players in the 300-400 ranking certainly has created some healthy competition

Shhh · Challenger level

A1 tennis academy wrote:
I need to create new ranking targets for end of may 2014 & end of year 2014 what do the regular posters think would be a significant achievement for Marcus in terms of singles & doubles rankings ?

-- Edited by A1 tennis academy on Thursday 31st of October 2013 10:07:28 AM

If you set Marcus a points total, he will reach it easier by playing futures, especially if you pick them carefully. He could get a Wimbledon Wild Card on the ranking, and get whalloped.

If Marcus was to play harder fought events, he may not get the points as easy, but will no doubt become a better player.

What is the overall goal for Marcus? If it is to play on the main tour then, developing him as a player should be most important, even if his ranking lags a little due to the learning. To be a main tour player for example, I am sure his game would benefit from a spell on clay..........but that may not yeild as many points as tournaments on other surfaces.

6 and 12 month ranking totals are important, but should only be a part of his approach I would have thought? Goalsetting is easy Gary as I know you know........Dream forwards then plan backwards. If he's going to crack the top 100 within 3 years (possible????) then I would use the rest and training periods wisely, choose the tournaments that develop his game.......a mix of indoor and out..........fast and slow.......futures, challengers even ATP qualies. If all of this is done then I wouldn't give a stuff where his ranking is in May as long as you both felt that he was improving at the pace to hit that longer term goal.

But thats just my opinion, and I'm not paying the bills................but you did ask!

A1 tennis academy · Satellite level

Shhh wrote:
A1 tennis academy wrote:
I need to create new ranking targets for end of may 2014 & end of year 2014 what do the regular posters think would be a significant achievement for Marcus in terms of singles & doubles rankings ?

-- Edited by A1 tennis academy on Thursday 31st of October 2013 10:07:28 AM
If you set Marcus a points total, he will reach it easier by playing futures, especially if you pick them carefully. He could get a Wimbledon Wild Card on the ranking, and get whalloped.
If Marcus was to play harder fought events, he may not get the points as easy, but will no doubt become a better player.
What is the overall goal for Marcus? If it is to play on the main tour then, developing him as a player should be most important, even if his ranking lags a little due to the learning. To be a main tour player for example, I am sure his game would benefit from a spell on clay..........but that may not yeild as many points as tournaments on other surfaces.
6 and 12 month ranking totals are important, but should only be a part of his approach I would have thought? Goalsetting is easy Gary as I know you know........Dream forwards then plan backwards. If he's going to crack the top 100 within 3 years (possible????) then I would use the rest and training periods wisely, choose the tournaments that develop his game.......a mix of indoor and out..........fast and slow.......futures, challengers even ATP qualies. If all of this is done then I wouldn't give a stuff where his ranking is in May as long as you both felt that he was improving at the pace to hit that longer term goal.
But thats just my opinion, and I'm not paying the bills................but you did ask!

Thats what the forums for right - heathy debate and support of GB ATP /WTA tennis players .

Sadly it is about money WC wimbie singles £25k and there is a huge golden nugget of GB men's players at the moment that I know could benefit from our blue print this year . We got the players we need the team spirit , organisation and leadership of the top 25 to get the best for GB tennis and the players sad thing is that I know i could do a better job with 50% of aegons funding

RJA · Hall of fame

Moving on to my next victim, Jonny O'Mara has had an interesting week. He really struggled for large parts of his opening singles match against Sam Hutt. Sam started very well and in the early stages was blowing Jonny off the court and he deservedly took the first set. Jonny started the second much stronger and raced into a 4-1* lead but then played a very poor game to be broken back including a terrible misjudgement on break point where he left the return in the belief that it was long, it wasn't. However he went onto break at 5-5* and served out the set. In the third set Sam's level dropped a bit and while he still wasn't playing that well Jonny always looked like taking it, even if 6-2 was a bit flattering. The victory owed more to gutsy battling than quality tennis, not that that is an entirely bad thing.

Second round match was a much better performance from Jonny. While he was inconsistent throughout and often struggled with his serve he at times produce some really good tennis. For the most part the match was a titanic battle with lots of close games. In the first set Jonny twice came from a break down, including at 4-5* but eventually lost the set 7-5. Second set was just as tight and while the first 9 games went with serve both players got themselves out of tight spots. A straight sets defeat would have been hideously unfair on Jonny who was battling like crazy and he deservedly took the second set by breaking at 5-4*. Unfortunately the start of the third was a disaster. A missed overhead and 3 double faults (including a second serve several feet wide) gave Cervenak a break in the opening game. Jonny almost broke back straight away but Cervenak saved break point with a wide kick serve, a ploy that he used very effectively on big points. Another poor game and Jonny was 0-3*. From there his form picked up and he fought all the way to the end, doggedly saving three match points at *1-5 but despite pushing close in all of Cervenak's remaining service games he couldn't quite get himself back into the match. All in all it was a terrible pity, some very good tennis and some tremendous battling ruined by a few minutes of woeful play at the start of the third set.

I certainly find it interesting to watch Jonny play, not just for his tennis, which has some serious potential, but for his antics on court. In both his singles matches he repeatedly had moments where he looked like he was going to go into total meltdown. He makes no attempt to hide his frustration at playing badly and repeatedly he looked so fed up after a bad point that you could easily conclude that he wanted to be anywhere but on the court. However on the vast majority of cases he then proceeded to play a cracking point and follow it up with a very determined sounding "come on" or an intense fist pump. I would like to think that as he matures he can tone down the negative body language a bit while retaining the determination to sort things out that he clearly has.

All in all I would say more positives than negatives, and obviously the doubles run is nice as well. The more I see Jonny play the more I am convinced that he has got the talent to have good career, especially combined with the determination that he clearly has. He has a game that can do serious harm to opponents and doesn't lack the belief to go for his shots. Injury niggles haven't helped him this year but if he stays fit I can really see him pushing on next year, especially if he learns how to use his game a bit better than he currently does.

-- Edited by RJA on Thursday 31st of October 2013 05:42:40 PM

Shhh · Challenger level

A1 tennis academy wrote:
Sadly it is about money WC wimbie singles £25k and there is a huge golden nugget of GB men's players at the moment that I know could benefit from our blue print this year . We got the players we need the team spirit , organisation and leadership of the top 25 to get the best for GB tennis and the players sad thing is that I know i could do a better job with 50% of aegons funding

An honest answer so, okay then, go all out for the 250 ranking in both singles and doubles. It dosen't matter how you get them, just get the points as early as possible. That is so you can "time out" before the big event to prepare (not chasing down wins and points to the last minute). When its over, and hopefully the money is in the bank, try to come back the following year and do it again. This time however go for more developing tournaments so, even if Marcus comes back 12 months later at a similar ranking, he's definately a better player. For the next 18 months, back to back Wimbledons and an ever improving top 250 player I'd say you're on a very, very respectable course.

Once again though, just my opinion!

indiana · Tennis legend

I understand the short term strategy.

Just remember that top 250 does not guarantee a Wimbledon MD WC recommendation.

A top 250 ranking made up entirely of futures may have to be a very clear top 250 ranking.

Not that I am really going to begin to read the minds of these LTA folk !

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

A1 here's my 2 1/2 p worth:

1. I don't care about or see any value in the GB ranking. If Marcus were to finish 2013 as WR 230,, say, that would be brilliant. It wouldn't be more brilliant if Dan E and Wardy collapsed and Marcus were GB number two. It wouldn't be less brilliant if a dozen other Brits suddenly zoomed into the top 200 and Marcus was GB no 15 !

2. What does Marcus think is a realistic goal ? (And is he lucid about these things ? And character ? Naturally cautious, naturally ambitious ?) Did he do so well this year because he smashed through the goals and so all up-side i.e. would it be good to set 'easy' goals ? Is he maybe having slight problems now because he feels the pressure ? Another reason to have easy goals.

3. Plan the schedule seriously. Rest period are vital, training blocks are important.

4. Not convinced about clay, especially if he gets some back problems. I'd be tempted to avoid it.

5. The all-out top 250 approach for May-2104 seems a good goal to me. Any way you can. BUT not by playing zillions of 10ks - no one's a machine. The 15ks give good points and seem to me a good return for the investment and level. Dan C did handsomely out of winning two of them - 54 points in two weeks. Putting his name down for a few 'easy' challengers would do no harm - you can always withdraw and some do seem to be a lot easier than others. It would do his 'CV' good.

And, back on track, Fitzy was 4-1 up but has got broken back to 4-3*

But James ia break up v Pavol.

A1 tennis academy · Satellite level

Shhh wrote:
A1 tennis academy wrote:
Sadly it is about money WC wimbie singles £25k and there is a huge golden nugget of GB men's players at the moment that I know could benefit from our blue print this year . We got the players we need the team spirit , organisation and leadership of the top 25 to get the best for GB tennis and the players sad thing is that I know i could do a better job with 50% of aegons funding
An honest answer so, okay then, go all out for the 250 ranking in both singles and doubles. It dosen't matter how you get them, just get the points as early as possible. That is so you can "time out" before the big event to prepare (not chasing down wins and points to the last minute). When its over, and hopefully the money is in the bank, try to come back the following year and do it again. This time however go for more developing tournaments so, even if Marcus comes back 12 months later at a similar ranking, he's definately a better player. For the next 18 months, back to back Wimbledons and an ever improving top 250 player I'd say you're on a very, very respectable course.
Once again though, just my opinion!

That's a plan now just got to execute it !

Shhh · Challenger level

A1 tennis academy wrote:
The forum has certainly been a lot more constructive this week and I hope that time spent with the other ATP players means that soon we will see the A1 ATP tennis academy . I have got the lease on a run down club but the local LTA not playing ball . Willing to contribute 50% to making it a performance centre but can't even get 50% of the cost of a 4th hard court Even though made the club free for children and give free coaching .

As I'm putting the world to rights this morning I shall carry on and answer this one as well. Gary, I share your frustrations but, I have learned in my old age to accept that things are what they are and work within the rules, others wise its like pushing water uphill.
When funding is put aside parameters are come up with that will release it. Tick those boxes and theres you money. Dont tick the boxes and the computer will say no. Your idea sounds excellent, superb, just what SHOULD be happening but, if it dosen't tick the boxes, you wont get the money. Now, do you want to be right.................or do you want the money?
I'd suggest that you speak to whoever and ask (in writing if possible) what exactly will they want to see to gain funding. When you know for sure, convert you club in such a way that gets the ticks. What you feel about it all inside is your business, find out what will get the money and just do it.
Once again, who am I to give you advice? I'm enjoying myself though, ask me another!