It's about refocussing after a bad point and that was lacking at times today.

I think the demeanour of a coach is important. For players like Murray who don't need constant reinforcement someone like Lendl is great. For players like Laura and on the basis of yesterday, Tara, you probably need someone a bit more vocal and supportive. It was a bit telling that whenever something went against her or she missed an easy shot, she gestured to her best mate from school rather than a coach.

LordBrownof wrote:

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It's about refocussing after a bad point and that was lacking at times today.

I think the demeanour of a coach is important. For players like Murray who don't need constant reinforcement someone like Lendl is great. For players like Laura and on the basis of yesterday, Tara, you probably need someone a bit more vocal and supportive. It was a bit telling that whenever something went against her or she missed an easy shot, she gestured to her best mate from school rather than a coach.

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 I think that's part of the growing up/maturing process for Tara. It's a WIP but I would say it's improving but still needs to be improved further.

tony_orient wrote:

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Stephens wins so top 8 favourites (on Betfair) now:

Williams 1/4
Kvitova 10/1
Stephens 20/1
Li 28/1
Radwanska 33/1
Bartoli 33/1
Lisicki 40/1
Robson 50/1

Absolute carnage! Beyond those odds I'm tempted by Makarova at 80/1 for an each way punt

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 What are Flipkens odds tony? Might also be worth an each way!

-- Edited by WD40 on Wednesday 26th of June 2013 06:11:56 PM

korriban wrote:

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Paul. I'm on your side really!

Journalists like a story. The story isn't the individual loss of a Sam Murray or an Elena Baltacha. I'd like to think they get no joy out of personal insults (actually, they probably do).

The story is the fact that for year after year after year we never have more than 1 or 2 men's and 1 or 2 women's players who line up for the Grand Slams (as especially Wimbledon) by right. Despite the fact that we are the proud country behind the greatest tennis tournament of them all, with perhaps the richest governing body in the sport.

As a young athlete, therefore, you could hardly argue that young British tennis players are somehow disadvantaged compared to, say, the Serbs or the Croats or the Belgians.........limited populations, limited budgets, no Grand Slams or major tournaments.

So the journalists find it extraordinary that every year we need to resort to WCs not for our 10th or 15th ranked players, but our 2nd or 3rd ranked players. The fact that these WC players then go on to lose en masse (yes I know they are invariably lower ranked, but with local support & more grass court practice they ought to be able to fight slightly above their pay grade. Furthermore, as we know in sport (just ask Rafa and Stan) it is exceptionally unusual for, say, 7 favourites out of 7 to win their matches, so statistically en masse losses shouldn't happen.

I think what I am trying to say (badly, I know) is that the journos are having a pop at the somewhat farcical general situation in GB elite tennis versus where we ought to be, rather than having a personal pop at the Sam Murray's and Elena's.......they are simply using them as examples of a bigger issue.

Enough already!

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I know I'm late on commenting on this but I had to finally create an account to comment.

I do personally think the negativity surrounding Wimbledon does have a major impact on two fronts

1) Its hard enough to attract youngsters to tennis as it is as there are plenty of other sports that are more social, easier to play  on a regular basis in the UK throughout the year (The weather after all is a major issues for tennis) and which have a bigger draw and with a more positive media exposure. The more they see the British players being ripped to shreds for losing to higher ranked opponents at Wimbledon the less appealing its going to be

2) No matter how strong you are mentally the amount of it is going to break you down. Just look at Boggo where he became the whipping boy for the media and the general public for not only Wimbledon but Davis cup losses against higher ranking players which seemed to really do a number on him mentally. As tennis is as much a mental game as a technical and physical one then it can be a major issue 

Wakey.

1. There are exceptionally few GB players with rankings high enough based on their 12 month performance to qualify for Wimbledon by right. This is not where things need to be - it continues to be a problem. During most of this period the journalists, with 1 or 2 notable exceptions, don't report on tennis outside Andy, Laura and Heather because it isn't newsworthy. So there's no ripping to shreds going on, by definition.

2. With regret I'd imagine, the only way to get most of the Brits into the Main Draw in singles is via WCs. 7 out of 10 MD entrants came this way, including the small number of players who would have had rankings high enough to get into qualies, plus a few others. The British #2 men's player needed a WC; the British women's #3 player too. In addition a whole stack of GB players were offered qualifying WCs as well. Not a single player managed to qualify on either men's or women's sides. In fact not a single player on either side managed to make it into the FQR. Once again, very few journalists covered this.

3. I completely accept that the chestnut of Brit WCs losing en masse to higher ranked opponents is crucified by the press during Wimbledon, and that it isn't very nice. By definition a WC is invariably ranked lower than almost everyone else in the main draw. I don't blame the WCs themselves. I don;t think the press does either really.

4. But the simple fact is that if we were punching at our weight, we would have between 10 and 15 players qualifying for the MD every year either by ranking or through the qualifiers, to which we would add another 6 or 7 British WCs. If these WCs then lost as usual, well its a non-story, because they are not "expected" to win en masse. Our wins would come from the 10-15 other players who didn't need the WC.

All of this is really to say that I don't think the press is actually bashing lowly ranked WCs for not being good enough. They are really bashing british tennis for failing to produce more than 2 or 3 decent players who don't need WCs, continually bigging up how this is all going to change, but watching it happen year after year after year.

Seeing the lifestyle and commercial deals that Andy and now Laura seem to have, I'd suggest, counterbalances the negative press that the also-rans get when they lose at Wimbledon.....for those with ambitions to make a career out of tennis. Swings and roundabouts.

MLDB was very impressive. Awesome display from her. Her speed around the court is astonishing.

Less than halfway through R2 and 16 seeds are out!