Most Promising Youngsters

all_rounder · Junior player

Most Promising Youngsters

Jaffa · Challenger level

Marcus Walters and Luke Bambridge I'm sure will be the names on most people's lips

The Optimist · ATP qualifying

There's plenty of good youngsters of various ages on the GB tennis scene. However, IMO, a thread like this won't help them at all. Fine to comment on their records in the junior competition thread or when they've achieved something special (say Marcus Walters getting an ATP point so young / Katy Swan in the AO) but generally I think hype for juniors is not really a good thing.

As always, everyone feel free to disagree with me!

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Good idea - why not . . . Have they got to be juniors? i.e. 18 and under? Or doesn't it really matter?

Lots seem to have very good results (Katie Swan obviously springs to mind!!!!) but I'm going to keep it to the ones I've seen play 'live' (and reasonably recently) so my vote here is for Brandon Murphy.

Add: I don;t think one thread on a forum will really do any harm to their prospects, The O; it's unlikely most of the young players even know about it, let alone read it! I think it's just interest and fun for the forumites.

-- Edited by Coup Droit on Thursday 26th of March 2015 01:35:03 PM

all_rounder · Junior player

It wasn't really made to create hype The Optimist, just to try to see where most people see decent talent coming through. It is a pure interest post, not a 'building them up to be superstars'. I played at a high level as a junior and the pressure certainly got to me and I stopped playing. I know a lot of the same will happen for the young juniors. But it this is certainly nothing more than out of interest.

Yes I saw Marcus Walters has played at the Orange Bowl. Seems a pretty sharp player, with a good all court game, which is really nice to see. I'll look out for Brandon Murphy.

Coup - it doesn't really matter. Again, it was nothing serious. Just for those that like looking at the younger players that may have a chance to do well :)

indiana · Tennis legend

Again, the obvious is Katie Swan. If she doesn't go a heck of a lot higher than WR 200 I'll eat my hat.

But I do agree be wary of talking too much up particular youngsters. I could name 14 yos but won't, though I do comment in the applicable junior threads as they develop. Let them develop at their own pace. Katie's kind of out the box, but even then some folk would say give her space.

In general, even allowing for girls maturing quicker in tennis ( and in life to a degree ) the GB girls scene looks much more buoyant than the boys.

paulisi · Tennis legend

Apart from the obvious juniors, I have been impressed by Aidan McHugh, Jodie Burrage, Eliz Maloney, Donia Abdel-Aziz, Megan Davies, Ali Collins and Ellie-Rose Griffiths of whom I have seen.

all_rounder · Junior player

Like I said Indi, this is purely a thread out of interest. I don't think talking them up or down on this forum will affect their decision to play at a high level, if they can/want to. It is not an expectation for them to become greats of the game or top 200 or even tennis players, I just think there isn't anything wrong from seeing who has the possibility of making it, if they choose to go down that path.

indiana · Tennis legend

Yes, probably no problem at all really, since although our readership may be rather more interestingly widespread than many imagine, I doubt that we can really influence any hype that could effect players.

And this forum ( like many others ) would be a quieter and poorer place without some speculation amid general discussion.

The seniors have to put up with our end of year ranking predictions !

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Just in case this is of interest, here's the LTA list of those players (from U12 up to U18) it selected this year for training camps and competitions, so - presumably - those players it thinks are the most promising (and available - i.e. Holly Fischer is not there because she's based in the US).

www.lta.org.uk/globalassets/play/player-pathway/national-age-group-programme-trip-selections-2018.pdf

Most of the names are well-known to those who follow junior tennis but there are a few new ones (to me). The younger kids are less well known obviously.

I also love the face we can support girls called Hephzibah and Mingge and a lad called Phoenix. Makes a change from Emily and Dan

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Interesting long article in the NY Times about the competition amongst agents to get promising youngsters on their books and IMG's big tournament and shindig they staged in order to detect top kids

Mention of the two girls who are currently playing the U12 national championship title match, and Denzell Darkey

www.nytimes.com/2022/05/01/sports/tennis/img-tournament-tennis-teens.html

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Coup Droit wrote:
Interesting long article in the NY Times about the competition amongst agents to get promising youngsters on their books and IMG's big tournament and shindig they staged in order to detect top kids

Mention of the two girls who are currently playing the U12 national championship title match, and Denzell Darkey

www.nytimes.com/2022/05/01/sports/tennis/img-tournament-tennis-teens.html

Looks v interesting - dang, though, it wont let me access it as I seem to have reached some limit on the NY Times for free articles and I sure as heck arent paying them for it!!!

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

You'll have to use emmsie's clever hack

or is it flamingowings' ?

-- Edited by Coup Droit on Friday 19th of August 2022 01:28:39 PM

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Coup Droit wrote:
You'll have to use emmsie's clever hack
or is it flamingowings' ?

-- Edited by Coup Droit on Friday 19th of August 2022 01:28:39 PM

That assumes I paid attention to how you do it! Which I didn't sadly

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

The old ways are not necessarily the best ways, we can't turn the clock back, but when you do read how some players made it as youngsters, not that long ago, you are struck between the eyes with how things have changed:

www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-11176887/SUE-BARKER-owe-gruff-pipe-smoking-coach-paid-penny-point.html

Sue Barker's memoir highlights how, at age 16, she was travelling everywhere alone,
how her coach would often give her the money only for a one-way ticket so she'd have to earn the money back,
how "there were times when I slept inside the host tennis club because I was worried about paying for a hotel. My tactic was to hide under a hedge and wait until the club was locked up for the night, then sleep in a cabana in the grounds".

The training schedule, the whole approach, really does just grab you...... as said, today's promising youngsters can't be expected to emulate such approaches, but I do hope they, and their parents, do at least read it....