No idea where to put this but as this thread is Andy's suggestions to improve tennis in general, here's Chris Kermode's interview about the ATP tour in general.

www.nytimes.com/2014/08/30/sports/tennis/inheriting-a-successful-tour-new-atp-chief-looks-to-the-future.html

As the executive chairman and director of the whole ATP, kit and caboodle, you can't help thinking that there is one Brit ex-tennis player who really has achieved something, and elected too, and not by his own buddies.

The whole LTA chief exec job thing is now in the past but shouldn't be forgotten.

Andy's tweet, as reported in the Guardian, makes you cry: "Possible LTA CEO? Played the game, knows the business and loves the game. Probably won't get a look in."

www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2013/nov/12/chris-kermode-lta-rejected

And several paragraphs beat repeating:

"If Kermode can consistently deliver big numbers at Queen's and the ATP World Tour Finals, and has the support of the best British player in seven decades but is not considered worthy of an interview to take charge of the ailing LTA, he must have extremely bad breath or a lot of influential enemies. . . .

Yet the LTA selection panel did not even interview Kermode.

The most compelling theory about the snub is that Kermode would have swung a carving knife through the LTA's cumbersome administration, one which has creaked with top-heavy decision-making and an embarrassing lack of direction for several years. Downey will also "restructure" the LTA to his liking but Kermode had identifiable opponents inside the association and that is how petty the argument had become."

No criticism of Downey - he's barely got his feet under the table - but it backs up what some others have been saying on other threads about the people running the LTA . . .

Madeline wrote:

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Surely that is exactly what Andy is suggesting? That top players and tournaments could help to support the Futures, as the place where they all have to start?

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Improved funding for top 25 GB badly needed because currently some excellent GB talent dropping out . 

I am effectively doing this with Marcus and its the only reason still on the tour before I came to the rescue he was coaching in parks to get enough funding for the next futures and no coach ! 

I think all our top 25 GB players should be subsidised so that they can with prize money be topped up to min £25,000 pa that they need to stay on the tour this would be a minor investment for the Lta what was it £45 million to build the NTC and a settee that cost £11,000 which would support 1 promising player on the futures your for 1 year ! 

There would need to be certain conditions criteria met eg min number of tournaments , receipts for coaching , etc 

I am sure if the non LTA funded players in GB top 25 had just extra £10,000 each per year to spend on extra tournaments and coaching we would see a significant rise in average ranking 

The average ranking would climb significantly

 "and so would their morale " !!!!

Eg Marcus inital success 2013 was mainly down to fact that had extra £10-12,000 a year so played more tournaments and employed a coach . 

A1 pharmaceuticals tennis academy need a new club house and additional courts but we spend £30,000 pa  on players instead . The facilities at our club are deliberately basic because I believe that player funding should be a priority  rather than expensive facilities .

Over the years I have subsidised at least 5 players it's never failed to improve rankings and it's allowed players to focus on worrying about winning tennis matches rather than where the next meal is coming from . 

 One idea that I have regularly suggested is a county  & club ATP performance fund generated by donations from each county /club ufor its top ATP player 

-- Edited by A1 tennis academy on Sunday 31st of August 2014 10:17:08 AM

-- Edited by A1 tennis academy on Sunday 31st of August 2014 10:24:28 AM

-- Edited by A1 tennis academy on Sunday 31st of August 2014 05:35:54 PM

But it's not very old and has the potential to be one of the top 100 sofas in the world. Although I should add its a double sofa, but still could be top 100.

I wish I could say with regard to the changes taking place at the LTA, sofa so good, but I'm not sure that is the case.

As well as exhibiting very poor movement, the sofa is clearly carrying a few extra kilos compared to the seating equipment used by other leading national tennis bodies around the world. Apparently the sofa spends a ridiculous amount of time in Nando's, has it's own twitter account and is rumoured to be more concerned with media and commercial marketing opportunities, so there's not enough time less to work on the basics of allowing people to sit on it. No professionalism. Wouldn't surprise me if the sofa retired early, rejecting LTA funding, and found a cushy job seating celebrities on Strictly Come Dancing.

Well apparently it did come from Harrods