British Tour 2015

Spectator · All-time great

RE: British Tour 2015

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Dave Rice's bad run continues. He lost his semi, in two sets, v Adam TB, who'll play Tom F in the final (who beat Jonny O'Mara).

-- Edited by Coup Droit on Friday 13th of February 2015 08:34:43 PM

indiana · Tennis legend

Hopefully we'll see Tom back a bit more on the wider tour. He is one guy with the ability to significantly push up his ranking. Indeed just playing / being able to play more tournaments would help him along that road.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Having made it down at the start of the week, Tom F was the one player who was head and shoulders above the rest. Great strong physique. Excellent technique. Don't know what injury issues he's had (or other commitments or whatever) but, yes, I agree, really stood out from the others (Dave R included).

(NB On the youngster side, Brandon Murphy was very promising - such fluidity and acceleration right through the ball - really nice to watch, and almost impossible to teach).

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Victory for Tom F over Adam TB 6-3 6-2

That's a handsome cheque (considering it's tennis), for both of them. Well done.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

In the semis in Corby:

Bruce Strachan plays Joe Woolley, and
Isaac Stoute plays Tom Hands

paulisi · Tennis legend

Just out of interest why is there very few events in the NW? I can see one at Bolton and one at Wrexham

Why not at Preston, Wirral, Manchester where they have held ITF events?

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Bruce Strachan def. Joe Woolley 6-4 6-1

Tom Hands def. Isaac Stoute 6-4 7-6(4)

PS A little shout out for Tom Hands, who fractured his skull in several places after coming off his bike. Not an easy recovery time. Good luck to him.

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Talented-tennis-Tom-Hands-gunning-number-ranking/story-22877180-detail/story.html

-- Edited by Coup Droit on Friday 20th of February 2015 07:31:16 PM

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Bruce Strachan def. Tom Hands 6-0 7-5

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Tipton is the Tour event this week, another Tier 1, so decent prize money (the level seems a little lower though).

Tom F is here again, looking to add to Sutton's title and cash. Adam TB is seeded 2, Oliver Hudson and David Porter are 3 and 4.

Bloomers also playing. Go, Richard.

Also, good luck to Ryan Storrie who is over in the UK for a bit and obviously giving some events here a go. He came through qualifying easily. Will be interesting to see how he gets on (Alexis Canter (same age) didn't have the easiest time of it, at Sutton).

Born2WinTennis · Club Coach

Has everyone noticed that the Tier 2 prize money has almost been halfed?

2014 2015
Placing Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade1 Grade2
Winner £750 £400 750 250
Runner-up £450 £250 400 150
Semi-finalist £300 £125 250 80
Quarter-finalist £175 £75 135 na

Born2WinTennis · Club Coach

So I doubt even the winner of a Tier2 would cover the costs of travel, entry, accomodation, restrings.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Yes. The funding of the Tour has been really cut, along with everything else. (People at Sutton were complaining).

The prize money is still pretty generous though, more so than anywhere else I know, especially given the level sometimes. (Although other countries will have tons more of them so it works our better really - far more opportunities, far less travel).

But, as you say, this was one way of helping players get going and it's being axed.

So, I've no problem in and of itself in cutting the prize money. But what's the new plan? Just tough love ?

Born2WinTennis · Club Coach

Wow so 50% cut in Tier2 Prize Money, 75% reduction in Aegon Team Tennis Prize Money and the bonus pool reduction too. Just three examples (I know of) of cutting potential rewards for players. Surely this will harm up and coming players who don't have bank of mum and dad behind them.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Jamie Whiteford, UNR but ex. WR 1471 and ex-US college player, has been causing upsets with the seeds. Beat Sutton's runner-up and second seed here, Adam TB. Then beat Clay Crawford.

Jamie will now play Bloomers in the semi.

Tom F will play David Porter in the other.

Absolutely no criticism, per se, but the British Tour is not really aimed at providing players like Tom F a weekly wage of £750. You can see why, to some extent, the LTA have cut it. Dave Rice stepping down to play a single Tour event makes perfect sense - the guy is so seriously out of form that he needed some matches (and didn't even get that many, at that). But Tom plays very little pro-tennis. And yet most certainly has the level. Maybe he's getting a pot of cash together to fund a few tournaments. We'll see . . . but it's not quite as intended, in my view . . .