British Tennis Forum - Celebrating 20 Years!

Coup Droit wrote:

---

And Mark has gone on to win Les Petits As

That's the (equal) World Championship title (Les Petits As sort of share it jointly with Junior Orange Bowl)

It's the first English player, I believe, to have won the event since 1998

Andy Murray, Laura Robson, Dan Cox and Hannah Klugman have all been runners-up

But only Matt Smith managed to win it (beating Ancic)

Great tournament, Mark.

Great progress in the last year.

Great to watch, and enjoy some really good ball-hitting.

---

 Ancic was a great talent and I believe works as a big deal in finance now (in london?)

and remind me who Matt Smith was ? 

Coup Droit wrote:

---

Ancic got up to ATP 7, I think - great player

Matt Smith made the top-300, I believe, and is now coaching?

Which just shows that - quelle surprise - winning a top-U14 event isn't any guarantee of future top rank playing success (mind you, neither is winning a Grand Slam at junior level - just ask Dan Berta or Mihalikova or Velotti or Cuadrado......)

In the same way that Liam Broady was runner-up to Ed Nguyen, who barely got any ranking, I think, in adults, whereas our Liam is going to crack the top-100 this year (well, maybe......with a prevailing wind)

However, in Mark's favour, some of the winners have become big names, that's for sure

---

 And hes a Yorkshireman as well, good lad 

https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/matt-smith-huddersfield-yorkshire-tennis-14124263

huddersfield club is a big club- not sure if it still has grass but I used to get dragged along each year when my mum and dad played in the annual Huddersfield Open. It used to attract many big names and John Newcombe brought his Texas Academy squad to play most years, back in the late 70s and 80s. Dont think it is played now. 

Bob in Spain wrote:

---

I am assuming this is the same Matt Smith that was coaching Marcus Willis ?

And as for previous winners not making is, Steven was tweeting about the player who beat Andy Murray in the final but never cracked the top 700 in the ATP rankings.

---

 Good point - you'd get a prize if you could remember "Alexandre KRASNOUTSKI"

Bob in Spain wrote:

---

I am assuming this is the same Matt Smith that was coaching Marcus Willis ?

And as for previous winners not making is, Steven was tweeting about the player who beat Andy Murray in the final but never cracked the top 700 in the ATP rankings.

---

It is - career high 295 in 2006, I've been following the Brits closely for just about long enough to remember him as an up-and-coming player who seemed destined to go higher.

Coup Droit wrote:

---

Mark Ceban (born 2009) got his first ITF juniors win today

At the J100 in Loughborough

And I think it's his 14th birthday today too

---

 Excellent, having been fairly dominant on the U14 circuit I was wondering when he was going to play some ITF again. Looking forward to seeing  how he does.