Nigel Sears Leaves LTA

Reports suggest that Nigel Sears has left the LTA to take up a coaching role with Ana Ivanovic.

Have to say this is another blow again for the LTA. He has improved the efficiency in coaching the girls within the LTA at their developmental stages and also into their professional careers. Keothavong being an example.

Such a shame.

legendkillar the LTA seems to operate a kind of revolving door policy when it comes to coaches.

What is needed is some stability. If Sears has gone at least he was around for a while. What they don't need is another vastly overpaid foreign coach in a knee jerk reaction who'll laugh all the way to the bank. Find someone who'll show some commitment and stick by therm.

I agree that a major name isn't required. Someone that has worked within the system and has had some small success in the improvement of British players is what is required.

1000 NIgel Searses will not change the fact that tennis is rotten in the UK.

When clubs stop worrying of keeping the riff-raff out, then something may change...in the meantime...good luck with your new cilent, NIgel, you'll need it!

Well considering that 3 women in his time have made it into the top 100 of the game shows the progress made in the womens game in the UK.

The men however is another story entirely....

legendkillar wrote:Well considering that 3 women in his time have made it into the top 100 of the game shows the progress made in the womens game in the UK.

The men however is another story entirely....

3 women in top ten would be considered success, I sometimes feel if I took a year off and buckled down I could break into top 100 at my old age, that's how pathetic WTA is at that level....

For me top 100 is a success. Top 10 goes beyond success and is overachieving. Setting the bar that high when you need to go back to the days of Wade and Barker for successful British ladies, I think that the current crop have the tools to go on and beyond the top 50.

We need to be realistic. In terms of how tennis talent is nutured and developed is another thing. I hope who ever succeeds Sears is able to build on the good work he has done.

[quote="legendkillar"]For me top 100 is a success.



here lies the problem, Legen, if you look at like that, you'll never "overachieve", in top tennis it's all about hunger.

You will overachieve NITB. It is all about building. No point as an organisation saying anything but top 10 is not a success. That should be the individual's drive. Players can be limited by their own abilities, there is a pool of talent who is better. Sometimes that is something that has to be accepted.

What is success?

It's making the most of your talent. Keothavong peaked inside the top 100 but never threatened to go into the top 50. Baltacha still has that chance and considering her illnesses and injuries) that would be a major achievement.

Looks like both Robson and Watson (at least for the moment) are steering well clear of the LTA and Roehampton wherever possible (yes I know they both get funding but they are getting much of their guidance elsewhere it seems).

Realised that both Keothavong and Baltacha have managed to break top 50 (just) but neither stayed there any length of time. Only Baltcha shows signs of revisiting that particular group of players though.

I think Robson and Watson have done the smart thing. Showing care to their progression of their careers.

I would avoid Roehampton if I was that good. That is the area the LTA needs to target for improvement.

Success can be determinded by anything, but mainly results. Keothavong suffered that injury and hasn't seemed the same player since. Baltacha is showing signs she plans to break into the top 50 and stay there. Think the competition of Watson and Robson breathing down her neck for the British no.1 spot should inspire her.

well to be fair he's left to go off and coach Ana Ivanovic, if I had the chance to be close to here on a day-to-day basis pretty sure I woldn't turn it down so not too sure we can blame the LTA on this one.

Re the women's situation, I agree they're doing OK, but no more than that for me. NITB, it's all very well talking about desire, but if the "talent" (not going to discuss that again, we've got a thread for it somewhere) isn't there, you don't make top ten, simple as. However, would be nice if Bally could make top 50 and stay there, she's cetainly good enough for that. Still, the women's situation is much better than it was a few years ago.

It's a reflection of the parlous internal state of the LTA - the high staff turnover tells us something about the state of the organisation. Some discussion had been had on the "Roger Draper Seven Year Master Plonker " thread:
https://www.606v2.com/t7901-draper-s-seven-year-masterplan

A great article dig up on Liam Broady NS. Superb read that was

The Liam Broady match is on the BBC and the boy is looking good. Can't wait to see if the LTA try and claim some glory.

Broady's second serve speed is faster than Murray's

What a result for young Broady. Let's hope this is the start of something.

Liam Broady is through to the final coming through the semi-final 6-4 6-3.
The last time a Brit (boy) won the juniors was in 1962 - Stanley Mathews
who went on to play footie:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/13990782.stm

I did see that NS. Bit strange that some people were comparing Kern to Becker and yet Broady beat him too.

Be interesting to see how the rest of the season fans out for him.