VOTE: Will we produce another British tennis champ?

9:08am Tuesday 1st July 2008

Two of our writers discuss the prospects of a British tennis player winning at Wimbledon: And they both beg to disagree.

YES, says Nick Jackson

THERE is far too much negative trash talked about the current demise of British tennis, almost to the point where we are talking ourselves into failure.

OK, so a Brit has not won the men's title at Wimbledon since Fred Perry won it for the third and final time in 1936, but that does not mean to say it cannot happen again.

Already, the same Doubting Thomases who were the irritant of the best British player of recent times -Tim Henman - are queueing up to write off the latest hope Andy Murray, so much so that it could become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

For the record, it was not Henman's, or the British tennis establishment's fault, that a certain individual called Pete Sampras - one of the best ever all-time players on grass - was playing the game in the same era as Henman.

Murray has the game to end the 72-year wait for a British, if not an English, winner, although the awesome sight of the muscular Rafael Nadal this year does worry me.

Scotsman Murray's ill-judged comments several years ago about supporting any football team that was playing England at the World Cup, were a public relations shot in the foot with regard to getting the legendary backing that Henman received when he reached the semi-finals on four occasions.

However, for too long tennis has been dogged by the tag of being an elitist sport populated by spoilt middle-class losers, but there are signs that a new crop of young talent is soon to emerge.

NO, says Liam Chronnell

YOU only needed to see Elena Baltacha's reaction after her first-round win at Wimbledon to see why there will never be another British champion.

The British No4 burst into flood of tears after beating unknown German Angelique Kerber. Even given her personal problems, her incongruous celebrations were a sad indictment of the state of the game on these shores.

Can you imagine a player from one of the eastern European nations, which are taking over the sport with a fraction of the funding and facilities available over here, being satisfied with such an achievement? Of course they wouldn't because they have a win-at-all-cost mentality instilled in them at an early age.

The softly-softly approach that the LTA take with our "stars" merely breeds pampered, spoilt brats.

And what did Baltacha credit her victory to? Stopping eating pizza. Am I missing something or should one of Britain's top performers not be eating junk food in the first place?

Baltacha is not alone in her lack of ambition. Alex Bogdanovic epitomises Britain's shortcomings. Here is a player, undoubtedly talented, who in seven years of trying has yet to win a match at the All England Club, limping out again this year.

Several years ago, Bogdanovic had his funding suspended because people did not think he was working hard enough. Yet, many more failures down the line, he continues to milk the LTA coffers.

Until the game's governing body stop rewarding such mediocrity, there is no hope of producing someone to follow in Fred Perry's footsteps.

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