MPs and peers to investigate state of British tennis after Davis Cup debacle

By Mark Hodgkinson 900AM GMT thirteen March 2010

Not great sufficient John Lloyd is a infirm witness as Great Britain unemployment to Davis Cup better in Lithuania Photo GETTY IMAGES

The move heaps serve annoyance on the LTA, that is being done to flounder from Vilnius to Westminster. The hearings are scheduled for the House of Commons this month. It is believed to be the initial time that an All-Party Group has been asked to scrutinize the viewed flaws and failings of British tennis.

A orator for Sutcliffe reliable on Friday night that the apportion had asked the All-Party Parliamentary Tennis Group to hold hearings about the LTA"s activities.

Henman can"t compromise disorder Henman manners himself out of GB Davis Cup pursuit Petchey responds to Jamie Baker Becker backs Henman to assist GB Jamie Baker be studious Sport on radio

Sutcliffe called for these "evidence sessions" at the Commons prior to Britain"s Davis Cup group lost to Lithuania, a outcome that left them one better afar from relegation to the lowest multiplication of the competition, where they would be at the same turn as countries such as Andorra, Malta and San Marino. But the events in the Baltic usually highlighted the actuality that, over Andy Murray, Britain has no players who could indeed be described as world-class.

In further to the �25 million-plus that the LTA receives each deteriorate from the Wimbledon surplus, the ruling physique has been since �26.8 million of open income from Sport England, widespread over a four-year duration from 2009 to 2013, a seventeen per cent enlarge from the prior settlement. Sutcliffe wants an reason about the state of British tennis.

At slightest dual hearings are planned, with a series of the LTA"s critics approaching to residence the row of MPs and peers about where they think the stream tennis administration department have left wrong.

One of those scheduled to give his views is Tony Hawks, the writer and comedian, who for years has been propelling the LTA to make use of a little of the supports to concede the open to fool around free on Britain"s play ground courts. Roger Draper, the LTA"s arch executive, will be called on to residence the panel, and the All-Party Group will afterwards send the inform to the LTA and to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport.

Sutcliffe was pronounced last night to be penetrating for British tennis to be carefully thought about closely. If he does not similar to what he hears or what he reads in the report, the apportion could cruise the probability of slicing destiny appropriation for British tennis.

During last summer"s Wimbledon, when Murray was the usually Briton to go over the initial turn of the men"s tournament, and Elena Baltacha was the usually home player to win a compare in the women"s draw, Sutcliffe pronounced he was "tired of excuses" and "if the formula don"t come, shortening the income is something that has to be looked at".

Draper had a assembly this week with Sutcliffe and with Baroness Angela Billingham, the Labour counterpart who chairs the Tennis Group. Though the "evidence sessions" could be hold in private, they could still yield annoyance for Draper and the LTA.

Since the better in Lithuania, former Davis Cup captain David Lloyd and Mark Petchey, Murray"s former coach, have argued that Draper should renounce or be sacked after what they courtesy as the costly "failure" of his prophesy for the sport.

The LTA pronounced that it was "more than happy" to insist itself at Westminster. "We had a really certain assembly with the Sports Minister progressing this week, and we are some-more than happy to plead the open appropriation and any aspects of tennis with the All-Party Group, as we ourselves endorsed last November," a orator said. "No open appropriation goes in to the chosen game. Instead, Sport England"s await is assisting us to deposit some-more than �40 million in tennis comforts over five years, and it"s being used to capture and keep some-more people in the sport. Last year, tennis was one of usually 4 sports to significantly enlarge the series of adults receiving piece each week."

The LTA is conducting an inner examination in to how John Lloyd became the initial British captain to lose five uninterrupted ties. If Lloyd does depart, Murray would be opposite the LTA asking his personal coach, Miles Maclagan, to additionally captain the Davis Cup team. "No, he"s my coach, and I"m happy with the approach things are operative out," Murray said. "I don"t wish Miles to be the captain of the Davis Cup team."