The times they are a changing for British women’s tennis and for that all of us, who not too long ago branded the breed as one of our nation’s prime sporting embarrassments, should be obligated to stand up and applaud.
When it comes to determined perseverance, the likes of Elena Baltacha and Katie O’Brien take some beating. They have experienced the knocks, suffered some horrendous blows and, in Baltacha’s case, battled almost ceaselessly with her health. Add Anne Keothavong, just a few weeks away from returning to the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour after battling back from a potentially career ending cruciate ligament injury for the second time.
Then factor in the promise of junior Grand Slam champions Laura Robson and Heather Watson and it is abundantly clear why all those cruel jibes directed at the female half of British tennis are now totally redundant. We may not yet be a world power to worry the Americans, the French, the Belgians and the Serbs. It remains ludicrous to suggest we will soon have a major winner to follow in the steps of Virginia Wade and Sue Barker but the corner has been turned and for that three cheers should be voiced for Nigel Sears and his brigade at the Lawn Tennis Association.
Baltacha and O’Brien’s wins mean this is the first time since 1991 that two or more British women have reached the second round of the Australian Open. It was only a year later that we registered two survivors after the opening round at any major away from Wimbledon and that was the French Open with Jo Durie and Sara Gomer.
There have been impressive performances in recent times; Baltacha reached the third round here in Melbourne five years ago, Keothavong went as far at the US Open in 2008. But there is now a healthy rivalry between the British girls, using each other’s achievements as motivational tools. When Keothavong cracked the top 50 last year, Baltacha wanted to emulate her. Now O’Brien is just three places behind Baltacha in the rankings and the British No 1 spot is her immediate goal.
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Perhaps the most crucial factor is the female fraternity at the LTA’s National Training Centre in Roehampton value the state of the art facilities on offer and possess the perfect work ethic. And Sears is a figurehead as Head of Women’s Tennis that ensures standards remain high. These girls are prepared to work and work, and listen to what advice is offered to them. Can their male equivalents, with Daniel Evans a case in point, claim to do the same? Does Paul Annacone, once coach to the legendary Pete Sampras as we are repeatedly reminded, engender the same respect?
Evans, who of course was found in a Wimbledon night club just hours before he was due on court for a doubles match at the Championships, was petulant and frankly anything but impressive as he weakly lost out in the qualifying rounds here in Melbourne.
It should be pointed out that Evans no longer chooses to base himself at Roehampton under the highly paid gaze of Annacone and has moved down the M40 to Bisham Abbey with Mark Taylor. Plus there are dedicated young British male players striving to better themselves and make every sacrifice necessary; look no further than the commendable Jamie Baker.
Yet across the board it is the British females who seem far more committed. To call O’Brien a natural athlete is akin to viewing Roger Federer as a hoodlum or Serena Williams as always outwardly friendly and helpful to the tennis press who make her famous. Yet the Yorkshire lass ran and gave her all to beat Austria’s Patricia Mayr 6-3,6-3 and set up a second round encounter with former world No 1 Jelena Jankovic.
Now if she gets through that one it will really be time to start hanging out the flags at the National Training Centre and for once LTA chief executive Roger Draper will be justified in saying we are finally moving in the right direction. And this former critic for one will be more than happy to lead the applause.