Week 44 - Great Britain F18 ($15,000) - Loughborough (Hard)

Priesty · Challenger level

RE: Week 44 - Great Britain F18 ($15,000) - Loughborough (Hard)

indiana · Tennis legend

Yes, real pity. I don't know George at all, but when you saw him with the other young Brits he always struck me as pretty diffident - certainly not an Oli ( who also of course has left the scene, at least for now ).

I wonder if lack of real confidence and belief has been a real hindering factor. I too would be very reluctant to pin this at the LTA's door. He didn't lack for assistance, being in many ways a chosen one from a young age. In fact I would tend to agree that much more of an issue may be such focus on a few from an early stage in their development.

Ultimately, sadly George hasn't been good enough. I wish him all the best

philwrig · Hall of fame

This was known about George much earlier in the year. Very sad, but just lost all of his confidence. I'm not sure whether he'll continue to play doubles, as he would have a real shot at having a decent career in that field.

Still time to reevaluate I hope, that world class double hander is a shot of beauty.

HossTheBoss · Strong Club Player

Leon Smith watching at Loughborough today

The Knight · Challenger qualifying

Real shame about George...Orange Bowl winner, US Open junior semis and a Futures winner by 18 you would have thought the world would be his oyster :/

Priesty · Challenger level

Perhaps I'm being too optimistic but you never know, maybe one day he might do a Cav? Never met the guy but he's always seemed very introvert, and maybe he has a few personal issues he needs to address. The talent is definitely there it's just that at the moment there seems to be no self-belief with which to set it all alight.

Shhh · Challenger level

steven wrote:
Mark Whitehouse was expecting to back in lectures today or tomorrow (via Jonathan Artman on Twitter) at Imperial College but has just beaten Jack 3 & 1! 0 to 8 points in a few days, though he has been ranked (with a single point) before.

What a cracking week for Mark, what tennis dreams are made of when you're in his position I'd have thought!

Shhh · Challenger level

Jaffa wrote:
Josh Goodall haa just informed me on twitter that George Morgan has retired from tennis. Another LTA faiure

So what is it that the LTA fail to do exactly and I know we have been down this path many times?

Provide the equipment, the courts and facilities? Provide the coaches? Pass on specific details of how to play the game? There could be some of this but most players quit at that age (if not through injury/personal reasons) because its much harder than they thought, and its a tougher price than they're prepared to pay.

I don't think for one minute that the LTA should just pay them a wage why they pursue their career, they should be helping them to make it....but what is that? Is it totally mental, they all look pretty fit from the outside? Are they actually pampered too much, most here seem to call for more funding not less?

Of course one answer wont fit all players but, its incredible that a tennis nation as rich as our financially, can have failed to have solved this problem for such a long time whilst we have succeeded in some other sports (I'm thinking those sitting down Olympic sports we have excelled at in the last decade). The answers may well include some that many are not ready to accept yet.

Jaffa · Challenger level

Shhh wrote:
Jaffa wrote:
Josh Goodall haa just informed me on twitter that George Morgan has retired from tennis. Another LTA faiure
So what is it that the LTA fail to do exactly and I know we have been down this path many times?
Provide the equipment, the courts and facilities? Provide the coaches? Pass on specific details of how to play the game? There could be some of this but most players quit at that age (if not through injury/personal reasons) because its much harder than they thought, and its a tougher price than they're prepared to pay.
I don't think for one minute that the LTA should just pay them a wage why they pursue their career, they should be helping them to make it....but what is that? Is it totally mental, they all look pretty fit from the outside? Are they actually pampered too much, most here seem to call for more funding not less?
Of course one answer wont fit all players but, its incredible that a tennis nation as rich as our financially, can have failed to have solved this problem for such a long time whilst we have succeeded in some other sports (I'm thinking those sitting down Olympic sports we have excelled at in the last decade). The answers may well include some that many are not ready to accept yet.

Big thing for me is the quality of coaching and seemingly a lack of game plan for our juniors. In my opinion its messy that they are all over the country, some academies are better than others and it shouldn't be like that - you should be able to fulfill your potential regardless of where you are especially in a country like ours.

Also, for me its no coincidence that the players at the 'white elephant' as I call it, the NTC all seem to have taken backward steps since going there.

I understand where you are coming from Shhh, it is mental as well but if the groundwork is put in and you start winning matches the mental side comes after that in my opinion.

steven · Tennis legend

Mark's week of missing lectures comes to an end, 1 & 2 at the hands of Authom, while Dan is serving to stay in the 1st set against Grigelis *4-5 deuce

paulisi · Tennis legend

Dan lost the first set 6-4 and currently in a tie break

Toby and Scott took the first set of the doubles final 6-4

paulisi · Tennis legend

Monster tie break 11-9 to Dan into a decider

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Scott & Toby run out the s:

Final: (3) Scott Clayton & Toby Martin CR 1214 (499+715) defeated Joe Salisbury & David O'Hare (IRL) CR 1328 (624+704) by 4 & 4

steven · Tennis legend

That's Scott's 4th Futures doubles title and Toby's 3rd but the first 15K title for either of them. As Toby has reminded me on Twitter, they have points due off from their other title together on Monday, so may dip a bit then, but since they've 'upgraded' from a 10K to a 15K, they should both hit new CHs when these points go on a week later.

PS. Does anyone know why Sarah Borwell is claiming this as a college tennis success? (does one or both of them study at University of Bath as well as training there or is one of them off to the US? - not sure she can claim it as a college success if they haven't even gone there yet LOL)

-- Edited by steven on Friday 31st of October 2014 05:29:47 PM

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

steven wrote:
That's Scott's 4th Futures doubles title and Toby's 3rd but the first 15K title for either of them. As Toby has reminded me on Twitter, they have points due off from their other title together on Monday, so may dip a bit then, but since they've 'upgraded' from a 10K to a 15K, they should both hit new CHs when these points go on a week later.
PS. Does anyone know why Sarah Borwell is claiming this as a college tennis success? (does one or both of them study at University of Bath as well as training there or is one of them off to the US? - not sure she can claim it as a college success if they haven't even gone there yet LOL)

-- Edited by steven on Friday 31st of October 2014 05:29:47 PM

Are you sure about Toby's CH ? According to the ATP site, his CH is 602 earlier this year. He is currently 715 (58 points) and with a net 9 points to go on, he will still be a long way short of that CH ranking.