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Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Megan Knight

Var · Futures qualifying

Coup Droit wrote:
A French friend has just pointed out that Meg and Ollie, her brother, are now listed on the Elite Tennis Centre site, at Cannes

Apparently, they are new arrivals this year.

So, presumably, the Knights have chosen to not go via the NTC / LTA / Loughborough route but to go via the private academy route

Which is fine except the ETC is most definitely NOT the one I'd choose - there's been a fair amount of talk about it, and Lisnard who runs it, and not good talk either.

Sticking purely to the tennis, I've seen him in action and he makes Jez Bates look bright and breezy and a fervent proponent of attacking tennis.

There were certainly some presitgious players there a few years ago but nearly everyone of those seems to have left. And several high profiles young prospects have tried it there recently and then quit pretty quickly (Tyra Grant, Ksenia Efremova)

CD from your experience, why would you pay for a private academy rather than take the support from the LTA? Remember Andy went to Spain but isnt it difficult to break back into the institution if you leave? I am thinking wild cards to GB events, financial support and facilities or do these come anyway?

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

I honestly don't know quite enough about how the LTA operates to answer precisely - and, from my experience, even if they normally operate like 'A', there are always exceptions for their top players, and bespoke arrangements, that you can't know publicly.

So, it is perfectly possible that the Knights have negotiated a financial sum equivalent - and effectively the LTA are paying for the ETC (For Meg, not Ollie, of course)

Or the LTA are chipping in, at least - the LTA have always said they're 'flexible' - though what that means in practice, I've no idea

It's also possible / reasonable that the Knights don't think the Loughborough academy is good enough, that they don't like the atmosphere/trainers at the NTC, that there's not the right sort of players, that they want the kids to be together, that the sunshine and buzz of Cannes is far more appealing, that they want them to be primarily on clay during adolescence etc etc

I don't think it's that difficult to break back in - it all comes down to level and results - if you've got the profile, you'll get back in if you want, you'll get the wildcards etc. But if you're on the borderline, then, yes, you'll have burned some bridges. It also depends how it's 'gone down', so to speak. If it was all arranged cordially, argued for Meg's benefit, and well handled, then probably fine. But if the LTA bods were asking Meg to stay, putting pressure etc, and the Knights basically told them to take a hike, then - naturally - it won't be so amicable going forward, especially if the same people are there

Just to add, I've no idea, of course, these are all just possible scenarios and points