O/T The great white hope

[MillersTime]

I'm with Stovic on this.

There is vaguely kind of a point in Grist's posts, however, which is that there is something badly wrong with British tennis - it's a wealthy sport in a wealthy country but cannot produce much home grown talent (although Radacanu's tennis abilty is home grown).

Somebody needs to ask why the LTA fails to deliver. My suspicion is because it only opens it's doors to a very narrow section of society.

'Something badly wrong with British tennis' is just not accurate. It certainly isn't a priviledged sport for the wealthy by any means. I'm not asking you this in a snarky way but do you actually watch much tennis?

Current top 10 in the world rankings. Women.

1. Barty - Australia
2. Sabalenka - Belarus
3. Osaka - Japan
4. Pliskova - Czechia
5. Svitolina - Ukraine
6. Kenin - USA
7. Andreescu - Canada
8. Swiatek - Poland
9. Krejckova - Czechia
10. Muguruza - Spain

1 country with more than 1 player in the top 10 currently, Czechia. Look how diverse that list is in terms of spanning the globe. You are talking about the best of the best. The absolute elite of the game. To say the LTA is not producing much talent is not a fair assessment, everywhere is producing. Tennis is not like team sports where countries dominate with all the best players, it doesn't happen like that.

We currently have 5 female players in the top 200. So 1 in 40 of the best 200 players in the world is British. What number would you like that to be for our output to be considered a success? 1 in 10? 1 in 5? Good luck.

We have a British player in the semi final of the US Open, at 18! The slams in the women's side of the game have gone all over the place in recent years. Minus Serena a few years ago nobody dominates. Is every country failing? I don't think so. The competition is so even and deep now. We have great prospects coming up, to go with established players on the tour.

There are issues with a lack of facilities in some places but talent still gets spotted and nurtured. Try lobbying your local council for more tennis courts if you want to see more people playing the game and improving our chances. Oh and the climate here doesn't help much.

[Grist_To_The_Mill]

It would make life a lot easier wouldn't it? I don't see anyone questioning the place of birth or the parentage of the 11 men who don the Millers shirt on a Saturday afternoon (except flourbasher of course who refuses to support anyone born in Sheffield )

What about those that move from Rotherham to the USA or Australia and take up American or Australian citizenship?

Do they become American or Australian?

Not British anymore?

Like our young tennis player isn’t Canadian anymore ?

[CAMiller]

What about those that move from Rotherham to the USA or Australia and take up American or Australian citizenship?

Do they become American or Australian?

Not British anymore?

Like our young tennis player isn’t Canadian anymore ?

It's a personal choice isn't it?

Anyway, well done Emma. Game, set and match as they say and onto a final between an 18 and a 19 year old. Makes you feel old doesn't it?

[Brin]

It's a personal choice isn't it?

Anyway, well done Emma. Game, set and match as they say and onto a final between an 18 and a 19 year old. Makes you feel old doesn't it?

And what a result! 11th v 146th. Way to go young lady , we’ll done!

[Scum-Triumphant]

Bradley Wiggins?
Terry Butcher?

The fecking prime minister was born in New York.

[flourbasher]

She seems such a happy young woman.
Takes all the fame and pressure in her stride and a natural
The media and public already love her as so they should...she's effectively won already

[Scum-Triumphant]

Bradley Wiggins?
Terry Butcher?

The fecking prime minister was born in New York.

Being born in another country then growing up here and representing Britain at the highest level makes you more British than someone born here then taking themselves abroad to live like Branson, Dyson or Ronnie Biggs 😂

[MillersTime]

She's as British as I am IMO and I was born here to British parents. Worth waiting up for, well done Emma! Should be a great final, Fernandez played a blinder to beat Sabalenka. Be interesting to hear who the crowd go for. You'd guees Fernandez being Canadian but it may be a case of them wanting both players to win, awkward spot haha. Good luck anyway, what composure and an incredibly rounded game she has.

[gru]

She's as British as I am IMO and I was born here to British parents. Worth waiting up for, well done Emma! Should be a great final, Fernandez played a blinder to beat Sabalenka. Be interesting to hear who the crowd go for. You'd guees Fernandez being Canadian but it may be a case of them wanting both players to win, awkward spot haha. Good luck anyway, what composure and an incredibly rounded game she has.

As soon as I found out she wasn't born in Britain like Mo Farah ect... I didn't want to know. Jo Durie Annabel Croft last two British born women tennis players who got to decent level I can think of. If you win a major still be the same on your birth certificate will tell you country you was born in to me that's your nationality.

[millertop]

Used to watch most sports including tennis, not so much now

Im guessing she chose to be British because it’s where she’s been brought up ?

Well done Emma

Edit
I now realise she was here from being two so no I don’t get what Grist is saying