indiana wrote:

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Kenneth wrote:

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One of the problems with GB tennis, players choosing to play a grade 5 ITF rather than our own Nationals......

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As has been said elsewhere it for the LTA to make much more of the nationals.

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Absolutely.

And to be fair to the players here, Marni Banks is based at a Spanish academy now and I seem to remember that Tanysha is based in Portugal (although I might have got that wrong). So I don't really blame them....if your own federation doesn't care, then why should you......

Kenneth wrote:

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Fair play didn't know that, wondered why not seen Tanisha for ages. Marni was very much on the inner circle though, a better prospect than club mate, and winner of 14s, Holly. 

-- Edited by Kenneth on Tuesday 23rd of August 2016 07:05:10 AM

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Yes, I was slightly surprised too to see that Marni had gone to Spain - as you say, I thought she was very much one of the in-crowd as far as the LTA were concerned. (Although it's possible that she still is and the LTA are subsidising/paying for her Spanish fees - the ban on funding foreign-based players seems to have been lifted).

The Tennis Grantees site posted in June this year:

Marni Banks, born 8.10.2002

Marni was born in Warrington Cheshire and started playing tennis when she was three years old. She spent almost 10 years training at the Bolton Arena IHPC but now lives in Spain and trains at the J C Ferrero academy in Villena under the supervision of Miguel Fragoso and Cesar Fabregas.

It has to be said, too, that the fees at these academies IF you get a scholarship there (which I'm sure she would have) are actually very reasonable. I heard of one player where the 'normal' fees of E 30k were reduced to about E 5k. To be honest, the LTA might as well just franchise out the business.

As said, I'm not 100% sure about Tanysha - I can't find where I saw it or who I heard it from - but I definitely have Portugal in my head. Apologies if wrong....