Week 45 - ITF ($25K) - Shrewsbury, GB Hard

Etienne · Club Coach

Week 45 - ITF ($25K) - Shrewsbury, GB Hard

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

I don't buy off on the weather.

Countries like Belgium, Netherlands, Germany etc all do MILES better than the UK on a per capita basis (and even on an absolute basis, half the time) and they have the same weather.

Same for the north, east and centre of France. Even the south of France plays inside most of winter (because of clay courts).

Government support (or lack of it) is important, yes, and it's a shame if communal sports facilities are not prioritised (the closure of swimming pools is dreadful, for instance).

But there's a club system in the UK that is untapped (the two presidents I've spoken to recently-ish say they have had zero contact with the LTA this year).

And any federation that spends SUCH a huge amount on one facility (the NTC) when, as Judy Murray says, you compare that to how many smaller ones could have been done, countrywide, and the complete flop of that one facility for what it was intended, cannot claim that it's government's fault.

Oakland2002 · All-time great

Very few countries have football so wedded to their identity.

If young people particularly boys want to play sport in the UK they play football, I watched some step 5 v Step 6 football on Wednesday night. That is the tier they are in outside of the football league but two teams of young men who were all probably the best athletes in their schools/school district and a culturally diverse group. They still get paid, its at about County level, there are probably 20 leagues of 20 clubs at step 5 across the country the nearest big town to where I grew up pop 100k (admittedly on hard times) plays at this level, my home town population 35K plays at step 7!!

Watching was an ex premier league player (now coaching at Step 1, he is independently wealthy and could do what ever he wants) who plays for one of the teams but at 40 is being rested. I asked as it turned out the managers dad how the club had got him and the response was he likes playing football! More people would know who he was than who Kyle Edmund is. Indeed Kyle would know who he was but not the other way round, but Ill check that.

My kids are at a school where in their years 4 kids are in academies, 1 at a regional tennis academy, 1 Prem Rugby, 1 championship football football, 1 premiership football (0.4% make it to the PL).

3 of them dominate sports day, one is in the top ten sprinters in the capital in the age group above his own. 1 is unable to compete on sports day, ie an average Jo school sports player, keen but not athletically gifted but affluent. Obviously it is completely unfair to pick out an individual who is trying so hard, totally committed to and likely will play ITF juniors when old enough but the reality is that he is the only one wants to play tennis and is supported by parents who want and can afford to let him do so. The other three are on scholarships and have no inclination to be coupled up in doors when they can be diving around in the wet!

-- Edited by Oakland2002 on Monday 5th of November 2018 12:54:17 PM

RedSquirrel · Satellite level

Freya has lost her first set 5-7
Eden has won her first set 7-5

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Shame about Freya, she was 3-0 early break up.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Bit of a reverse in both 2nd sets. Freya is *4-2 but Eden is 0-4*.

the addict · Tennis legend

Freya wins 5-7 6-2 6-1
Eden closing in 7-5 1-6 *3-1

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Yay - 3/3 so far, Eden won 6-3 in the third. Hopefully Ella can make it 8 in the main draw.

the addict · Tennis legend

And Eden qualifies as well, 6-3 in the third

indiana · Tennis legend

Ace Ventura wrote:
Yay - 3/3 so far, Eden won 6-3 in the third. Hopefully Ella can make it 8 in the main draw.

I'd prefer she made it 9

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

indiana wrote:
Ace Ventura wrote:
Yay - 3/3 so far, Eden won 6-3 in the third. Hopefully Ella can make it 8 in the main draw.
I'd prefer she made it 9

Ah, me too. Completely forget about Gabi amidst all the withdrawal talk on her last week. Yes, 9 would be fantastic.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

*on here

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Currently looking like 8, Ella *1-5.

RedSquirrel · Satellite level

In doubles WCs go to Ali Collins partnering Jule Niemeier (GER) and Anna Popescu partnering Marina Yudanov (SWE).
Also in doubles are Freya (2nd seed) with a different partner from last week, Beth and Olivia (3rd seeds), Eden and Emily Appleton with separate partners.

Emily+ and Freya+ meet in R1, as do Anna+ and Eden+

-- Edited by RedSquirrel on Monday 5th of November 2018 03:16:43 PM

the addict · Tennis legend

Just the 8 it is, as Ella goes out 2 & 0 cry