paulisi wrote:

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It would be nice to prove some of the critics wrong if we could get a couple more junior boys into the top 100 to go with the girls and prove that we have a decent junior base.

Then the journos would just have the pro level funding and UK tournament scheduling to moan about.

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I know what you mean, paulisi - it gives the journos cheap points, and they flog it like a dead horse.

However, when we do have some easily-identifiable good junior prospects, there's then a tendency for the Drapers and other LTA bods to claim that everything's fine with British tennis - or it will be if we just wait a couple of years. Apart from the fact that each time a couple of years comes round, we're now told we need to wait another couple of years.

So, in some ways, I rather like the fact we have so few rated boys - personally, I don't think the junior rankings are too critical and maybe it focuses the minds of the powers that be on the fact that everything is not rosy and something should be done.

After all, even if Ryan has a blinder this week, we'll have Jay in the top 100 (completely unfunded by the LTA) and Ryan (very little funding from the LTA) and Ewan Moore (not sure of his status but he's never on the list of those getting direct funding so presumably 'not a lot', although might be getting some help along the way, don't know). (And I'm pretty sure that Alexis Canter is not on the list either).

Now, it's definitely arguable that they shouldn't be funded just because they're the 'best' - i.e. absolute level matters, not just being the 'best of a bad bunch'. But if the bunch is so bad that none justify funding, then that says the LTA is failing in a bigger way.

Surely the LTA has to recognise that we've had a golden time, with Andy as a Grand Slam winner, Olympic winner and (who knows?????) soon to be leader of Davis Cup winners. AND YET tennis in Britain has had no knock-on good effects. So the answer CANNOT by to shove all your resources into trying to create another Andy (male or female - in fact, would that be a Shandy ? A She-Andy???? ).

DavidC wrote:

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Coup Droit wrote:

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That's going to be at least 22 net new points for Ryan which will jump him up to JWR 115 or so. Would be wonderful if he could keep going - he's really been due a good week, in my opinion.

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 This is a G1 event, so Ryan needs another win to improve his ranking. His next opponent had a purple patch in the summer winning consecutive G2 and G1 tournaments. He also reached a Futures Final in September

R3

(6) Ugo Humbert (FRA) v Ryan James Storrie

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Damn, you're right. I had this down as a grade A event like last week........

OK, nothing for it but to beat Ugo.

Ad you say, Ugo has a brilliant run in summer, but it was rather out of the blue - certainly his adult ranking is all based off one good (and rather lucky) tournament - he won the QFs in a third-set tie-break; he then won the semis thanks to a retirement - the other 10ks he played were far more moderate in terms of results - so I don't think that final was a good reflection.