I think Lily would still struggle in 15k qualifying. She's only won one match in thirteen attempts in the last year - and that was against Emily Morton at Sunderland

I found this via google from January 2014, on www.thisislocallondon.co.uk and might explain a bit, but it was FOUR years ago

The Lawn Tennis Associations head of mens tennis Leon Smith has warned a group of young aspiring stars they are only at the start of a long journey to the top.

Croydons Lily Ghodrati, 14, and Andrew Watson, 13, Zack Norman, 15, and Sacha Modica, 16, from Carshalton have been selected to be part of the LTAs 2014 Aegon Future-Stars programme.

The players are among a group of 424 emerging stars identified from across the country who will now receive added financial and coaching support from the games governing body.

Smith said: We are committed to supporting and identifying our most talented players, and the Aegon FutureStars programme is central to this process for young players who are starting out in the game.

Theres obviously a long way to go for these players.

Its a long journey for any player hoping to make an impact on the game, but we hope that with the right support, these players are given the best possible chance of reaching their full potential.

Wow, just seen some of her recent results. If she gets beat 1 and 1 she has done well. She's literally won 2 games in her last 4 matches.

Yep too many scots? Not enough black and mixed race athletes. Men's professional football is a clear guide as to the diversity that comes with a true bar of athleticism over which you have to jump, things are changing slowly obviously the Williams sisters are a fantastic pair of role models but it would be amazing to see similar role models establish themselves in British tennis.

Unpicking how you fund such a technical and therefore expensive sport where they are very few high quality voluntary coaches is a major challenge. Encouraging those that have a true love of sport, ie enjoy playing to a decent level but never had aspirations of being a professional to coach in the community setting is one way, perhaps funding PE teachers to get some basic tennis coaching qualifications and kick things off with years 3-6 in primary schools is another.

Bleating about the fiscal advantage high quality coaching gives to struggling futures players is missing the point, indeed class war goes beyond socialism indeed it disenfranchises it as a viable political alternative as the negativity of the concept that success is bad just does not sit well with those that work hard for a living, I am all in favour of the concept of social sensibilty and as part of that a fiscal responsibility to the state but how you invest your taxed income I feel is a matter of choice and if in some way it is in tennis that is absolutely fine by me. 

They by hook or by crook are funding themselves to play for money, their parents have probably spent  a fortune on coaching paying coaches who will also coach other kids etc.... Playing for money is the definition of professional, the quality of player and how much they make is irrelevant as is the amount of bile spewed in their general direction. I do on one hand wish the NCAA would relax their definition even more however the morality of college tennis sticks in my throat given it is funded by elite athletes most of whom will never get the opportunity to go pro in American sports where professional opportunity is limited because of the very existence of college sports and colleges who take the enormous income and don't give it to the athletes, there are no Charlton Athletics, Plymouth Argyles, Sunderlands, middlesboroughs or Millwalls in the NFL! I digress.

Tennis is tough there is very little money in it, the standard of futures tennis is high club players are not ampling off scoring points in their holidays. These guys and girls are good and have dedicated their childhood to playing tennis arguably professional in attitude from the age of 10!

In 2011 we had the number 1 seeded U16 Davis Cup team who for the first and only time won the trophy, that group had earnt support from the LTA to develop and go professional? The team was Kyle Edmund, Luke Bambridge and Evan Hoyt all of whom you regularly critique as either being a Challenger player, playing a format of the game unworthy of your attention or just unworthy of being labelled a professional tennis player for having the cheek to attempt to play on the futures circuit after getting injured and missing a prolonged period of development in his later teenage years and early twenties. These guys have been professional in attitude from the age of 10, I think some respect is due a lack of it reflects mostly on the poster not the player. If nobody gives it a go there is no British tennis.

-- Edited by Oakland2002 on Saturday 5th of May 2018 07:05:44 AM

Q1: GHODRATI, Lily (GBR) UNR lost to DJOUBRI, Salma (FRA) 9 821 2-6 2-6

Not quite sure what you mean Jag?
Mirabelle had a privileged upbringing - went to swanky French academy.