LTA's Martens defends GB progress
23rd June 2010
Lawn Tennis Association player-director Steven Martens was "disappointed" but not "devastated" after only one Briton reached Wimbledon's second round. That was Andy Murray, as Jamie Baker, Anne Keothavong, Laura Robson, Melanie South, Katie O'Brien, Heather Watson and Elena Baltacha made early exits.
"Quite a lot of players came very close to winning," Martens told BBC Sport.
"Four or five could have been in the second round. We mustn't be devastated none of them did, apart from Andy. "
In a year that no English male qualified to play in the tournament for the first time in its history, Britain has its lowest-ever representation in the second round of Wimbledon.
No Briton has appeared in a Wimbledon singles final since Virginia Wade was champion 33 years ago.
Wade's victory was also the time a British player won a Grand Slam singles title, although Murray reached the final of the Australian Open in January as well as the US Open final in 2008. He was beaten by Roger Federer both times.
"The results that I would want both in the men's and women's is to have representation in the second week of the Slams," added Belgian Martens, who joined the LTA in 2006, before he took on the player director role two years later.
"To get that on the women's side we are probably one, two or three years away to have reasonable consistent chances of doing that.
"By that time Anne Keothavong and Elena Baltacha are going to be more consistent and we'll have youngsters like Heather Watson and Laura Robson coming through and being able to do so. "
However, Martens was more guarded about the strength in depth of British men's tennis in the future.
"It will take us another three years to get players who are going to be able to get in the main draw of a Grand Slam on their own merit and that's the timeframe," said Martens.
"Not too many countries have representation in the second week of a Slam, so it's not something you have to have on a consistent basis, but having a shot at every Slam would be something and having one or two players is great. "
British tennis reached a low point in March when the Davis Cup team lost 3-2 to Lithuania, a defeat that led to captain John Lloyd's resignation.
Murray, who announced on 15 June he did not want to play for GB in the competition, said: "At the top level in the last 10 years, the LTA hasn't really produced too many top players - and that's something that isn't good enough and that is what everyone sees.
"That's what the media sees when it comes to Wimbledon and that gets people talking.
"I don't know about all the grassroots and at the clubs. I just know at the highest level it hasn't been very good. "
The 23-year-old urged his fellow British players to embrace the pressure of major events such as Wimbledon.
"It's something that I've always enjoyed - playing in the big tournaments - because that was why I always played tennis," added the Scot.
"When you get there, there's definitely a pressure that comes with it, but something you should be able to enjoy as well.
"You've got to get your head round it and deal with the pressure. "
Source: BBC Sport - Tennis
