The Anonymous Widower

What’s Wrong with British Tennis

Just when you think it had sunk to its lowest level, British tennis sinks even lower.

So Murray wasn’t playing, but then who’d want to be part of this shambles.  We were talking about it down the real tennis club yesterday and kept asking the same question.  Why do we not produce more good players?

But the ones we have produced in recent years have all come from special circumstances.  Murray and Henman came from tennis families, Rusedski was Canadian.  Even some of our women haven’t taken the traditional route.

So perhaps the traditional route is wrong?  British coaching and facilities may just not be what is right for the modern game.  After all, the other country that is most like us, Australia, doesn’t seem to have a lot of new talent coming through.

As a man who is small in stature, I’ll throw in a heightist comment.  Because of modern rackets, you need to be a giant to play lawn tennis well.  There are few good men players under six foot and some are nearly seven.  But in the UK, sports like rugby, football, cricket, rowing and athletics also like players in larger sizes, so there is a lot of competition. And there isn’t that many of them about.

So perhaps good junior tennis players are either too short or they are good at other sports, where they are part of a team.  The athlete, Julian Golding, was a very good tennis player and in an interview on the BBC, he said that he took up athletics because of the camaraderie.  I believe he still works with the LTA helping to promote tennis.

So will we ever produce more than the odd good player?

No!

Not until we identify good tall juniors and probably pay for them to go to one of the academies that have a proven record of success.  We don’t seem to be able to do it in the UK, despite pouring millions down the drain.

Incidentally, one of those who suffered defeat in Vilnius, Dan Evans, is only 1.75m.  He’s just too short to be good in this sport of giants.

I’ll stick to real tennis, where height is never an issue and we play with proper wooden rackets.  Those hi-tech large-headed monsters have already ruined lawn tennis and they will never be allowed in the real version of the game.

March 9, 2010 - Posted by AnonW | Sport | Tennis