Sutcliffe Threatens To Cut LTA Funds

Minister for Sport Gerry Sutcliffe has threatened to cut funding to British tennis if results do not improve after only two home-grown players reached the second round of this year’s Wimbledon Championships.

Sutcliffe said he is ‘tired of excuses’ following a disappointing opening two days of the tournament which saw Andy Murray and Elena Baltacha emerge as the only British players to progress.

The minister said: ‘If the results don’t come, reducing the money is something that has to be looked at. In UK Sport’s world-class performance, no compromise approach, if people don’t perform, they don’t get the money.’

Nine British players crashed out of the sport’s showpiece tournament in the first round, and Sutcliffe said the Lawn Tennis Association needed to urgently address the lack of strength in depth in British tennis.

‘Two players in the second round isn’t good enough. I’m getting tired of the excuses, we need to find a way now to be successful. If you look at the Olympics last year, look what UK Sport are doing – we put funding in and we have world-class performances.

‘Those athletes don’t get paid if they don’t perform, and I think that’s one of the key issues we need to look at. Tennis gets £25m from Wimbledon, £30m from Aegon (as part of a five-year sponsorship deal) and £27m from Sport England, public money that goes into grassroots.

‘Why is it that we can’t have the players like they have in Spain and Russia? They have people coming through all the time.’

World number three Murray said the depth of British tennis needed to get ‘way better’.

‘It’s disappointing. It’s not acceptable. But regardless of whether there are 10 Brits in or just one I’m still going to take care of my own business.’