County cup at Devonshire park to be discontinued is this rumour true ?

A1 tennis academy · Satellite level

County cup at Devonshire park to be discontinued is this rumour true ?

A1 tennis academy · Satellite level

Because I am on commitee of Devonshire park LTC disppointed County player rang to check if it's true that due to LTA cut backs that the long tradition of county cups at Devonshire park Eastbourne will be discontinued in the 2014 season

If true will it be opportunity for ATP players to focus on Aegon team tennis & not be distracted from the main job in hand

steven · Tennis legend

I haven't seen anything about Eastbourne County Cup being scrapped, though there's no reason why I would have even if it was true.

However, surely the main job in hand is picking up ATP ranking points, not messing about with AEGON team tennis, great as that competition might be for players not quite good enough to have ATP ranking ambitions.

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

steven wrote:
I haven't seen anything about Eastbourne County Cup being scrapped, though there's no reason why I would have even if it was true.

However, surely the main job in hand is picking up ATP ranking points, not messing about with AEGON team tennis, great as that competition might be for players not quite good enough to have ATP ranking ambitions.

Interesting question this !

Logic would certainly seem to suggest that you are correct and players should focus on Ranking point opportunities. And yet I hear other people on here (well - CD actually wink ) talking about French League tennis and how the even some of the higher ranked players still participate.

There is an argument to say that it gives some of the up and coming players, the chance to "raise their game" to the level of the better players.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

And right on cue (!), what is the level of county cup ? I know absolutely nothing about it. Is it singles and doubles ? Or just doubles ? Are there financial prizes ?

I love French league tennis but there's two sides to why so many high-level guys (French and non-French) take part.

Yes, it's great to be part of a team when usually tennis is such an individual sport - it's just like Davis Cup, and most players really like it.
And, yes, I think it is one of the reasons so many French youngsters come through - they get to play a higher level, and with far more variety.

But the higher players also get paid (pretty handsomely in some cases) by the clubs. Even lowly ones get kit, free racket stringing etc. And they get national ranking points for the singles matches (5 singles and 2 doubles per match for the high levels, 4 singles and 1 doubles for the lower levels).
These ranking points are what gives them their ranking/seeding for all the top domestic money tournaments.
Top guys like Tsonga don't need the payments or the national ranking points.
But some guy who's WR 200 needs both.
The French guys most certainly wouldn't play any doubles-only competition.
And most of them wouldn't play a singles one either, IMO, if it was just for the glory of the club. (Not knocking them, they're trying to make a living . . .)

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Thanks CD. I was hoping you might jump in there with an explanation of the dynamics of French League tennis.

One question. Where do the funds come from allowing players to earn their fees. Is it ...

1) Central Funding - I am sure with Roland Garros, helps bring in substantial sums as Wimbledon does for the UK
2) Clubs raise money through large memberships allowing them to pay their players
3) Sponsorship from local companies
4) Do spectators pay to watch
5) Other

Would be interested to know.

Thanks

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Bob in Spain wrote:
Thanks CD. I was hoping you might jump in there with an explanation of the dynamics of French League tennis.

One question. Where do the funds come from allowing players to earn their fees. Is it ...

1) Central Funding - I am sure with Roland Garros, helps bring in substantial sums as Wimbledon does for the UK
2) Clubs raise money through large memberships allowing them to pay their players
3) Sponsorship from local companies
4) Do spectators pay to watch
5) Other

Would be interested to know.

Thanks

Mainly 1 and 3 and 5, the 'other' being local and regional council funding and is often higher than 1, the FFT funding. Spectators never pay to watch and club membership is cheap so high numbers, but not much cash overall.

(Of course, local and regional council funding is only tax payers' money so, ultimately it's Jo public, but that's France - high taxes but you do get great services. All associations are eligible for grants and sport is prioritised as being a social good).

The council fudning is nearly always non-specific i.e. certainly not ear-marked for team players. So it's up to each club's Board to decide what to target. But the corporate sponsors will often be specifically tied to the teams.

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Coup Droit wrote:
Bob in Spain wrote:
Thanks CD. I was hoping you might jump in there with an explanation of the dynamics of French League tennis.

One question. Where do the funds come from allowing players to earn their fees. Is it ...

1) Central Funding - I am sure with Roland Garros, helps bring in substantial sums as Wimbledon does for the UK
2) Clubs raise money through large memberships allowing them to pay their players
3) Sponsorship from local companies
4) Do spectators pay to watch
5) Other

Would be interested to know.

Thanks

Mainly 1 and 3 and 5, the 'other' being local and regional council funding and is often higher than 1, the FFT funding. Spectators never pay to watch and club membership is cheap so high numbers, but not much cash overall.
(Of course, local and regional council funding is only tax payers' money so, ultimately it's Jo public, but that's France - high taxes but you do get great services. All associations are eligible for grants and sport is prioritised as being a social good).
The council fudning is nearly always non-specific i.e. certainly not ear-marked for team players. So it's up to each club's Board to decide what to target. But the corporate sponsors will often be specifically tied to the teams.

Thanks CD. Can't see that being replicated in the UK then. Tax payers would hae a fit if they new their money was paying tennis players for the "glory" of the local club.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Well, there's no favouritism for tennis. All sports clubs get it. The regional sports council provides funding for all the larger sports clubs and the local councils will do the same for the smaller ones (and there's a whole heap of cross-over too).

I'm in favour. It makes all sports/gym/whatever very cheap and affordable and so everyone uses them and so nobody complains that their tax dollars are going to the clubs because they and their families are already using them and getting the benefit.