No Americans in the top ten either female or male!

[GeoffWilliams]

First time that's happened since 38 years ago. Wow. Sucks for us now.

Reason #1: No red clay courts to speak of to train patience and footwork, grit, lull game, stamina.
#2: Other nations pay to gather top juniors.
#3: Desire, dreams, vision isn't there at the teaching level like it is elsewhere.
#4: Equipment/stringing isn't taken seriously here as it is other countries.
#5: Our best athletes have too many choices, just like the all courters who can't decide which shot to hit in a split second or so; if you are split, you lose.
#6: Nobody to look up to anymore, and those at the top have not made a good impression on our youth...

Solution: Gather top juniors together in one training camp, with red clay, fast courts, medium courts, and use the video to train them, and coaches who can teach the shots. Train their minds as well: hold temper, believe in the process, accept losing as part of it, remain calm no matter the score, or their own development. Incorporate massage, Yoga, injury healing, sports psychology, and not just hitting practice down the middle. Place pressure on them from the start, to play for prizes, under video, with friends watching. Make pressure a normal part of every practice, so they learn to relax with it. Teach them to reset when choking or tight.

[don_budge]

In the eyes of the World...

In the eyes of the world we have fallen...in more ways than one. Deep down inside we know that it is true. It's time for change. Real change. The question is...Do we have the balls to do what must be done?

[gzhpcu]

Somewhat of a similar situation to Australia. Whatever happened to the Aussies?

[stotty]

Here in the UK we've had Roger Taylor, John Lloyd, Tim Henman, Andy Murray...and the four of them span across 40 years. That's it. That's about all we've had in terms of male world-class players. So if you think you Yankees have it bad, take a look across the pond for a sure way to lift your spirits.

The Europeans are hungry and taking over. Competition between European players of different countries is geographically easy as the countries are small, so playing in a neighbouring country is common. You guys have to cross to Brazil and Argentina for foreign competition. I imagine it's very internal over there in the US.

You have too many sports over there, too, which can't help. Probably some really good tennis players have lost to football and baseball over the years.

The Aussies are a nation of 21 million citizens and so entitled to come and go with stronger and weaker eras. As a nation of 300 million, perhaps the US should be expecting to constantly churn out good, world-class players.

These are just my purely unqualified thoughts, and I stand to be corrected.

[GeoffWilliams]

The usta has not done what needs to be done. How many juniors look up to Serena after the ball stuffing incident, and then her retaliatory no entry? Isner is the only one to look up to, and that's due to the marathon match, something we will never see again. When he's older than I am, they will be playing that match on tv.

[don_budge]

Camps anyone?

A brilliant idea just came to me...

Let's convert all of the American military bases to tennis camps. Just think of the immediate fitness that the campers will begin with and to say nothing of the budget. All that cash to invest in our youth...their future instead of their demise. Any shots fired at them will be harmless...afterall, how badly can a tennis ball hurt. No more killing or maiming of our boys and girls. No more killing and maiming of "their" boys and girls. It will be the end of war. We can all shake hands. We get tennis back big time. To say nothing of peace of mind.

Instantly and overnight, we will have over 700 tennis camps instead of military bases worldwide. State of the art. Spreading good will and good sportsmanship. We can really teach those bad guys a thing or two...about taking the high road. We will show them a thing or two...about getting along. Oh yea...one more thing. We will be emphasizing "Classic Tennis" soldiers! It is my idea...I will be Commander-in-Chief. Sorry Mr. Obama. You had your chance. Come on America. Let's raise our status in "the eyes of the world"...in more ways than one.

Whoops...sorry. I was dreaming out loud.

[don_budge]

Then...1973

In 1973 48 of the top 100 tennis players in the world were from either the United States, Australia or Great Britain

3 Stan Smith USA
4 Arthur Ashe USA
5 Rod Laver AUS
6 Ken Rosewal AUS
7 John Newcombe AUS
10 Jimmy Connors USA
13 Roger Taylor GBR
14 Marty Riessen USA
15 Tom Gorman USA
17 Cliff Richey USA
18 Mark Cox GBR
19 Roy Emerson AUS
21 Brian Gottfried USA
22 Roscoe Tanner USA
25 Dick Stockton USA
32 John Alexander AUS
35 Paul Gerken USA
37 Bob Lutz USA
38 Erik Van Dillen USA
39 Eddie Dibbs USA
42 Fred Stolle USA
44 Colin Dibley AUS
44 Sandy Mayer USA
46 Dick Crealy AUS
51 Martin Mulligan AUS
51 Buster Mottram GBR
55 Geoff Masters AUS
58 Clark Graebner USA
59 Mike Estep USA
60 Phil Dent AUS
60 Billy Martin USA
62 Ross Case AUS
63 Harold Solomon USA
64 Charlie Parsarell USA
65 Gerald Battrick GBR
67 Bob Carmichael AUS
68 John Cooper AUS
69 Frank Froehling USA
70 Allan Stone AUS
73 Stephen Warboys GBR
79 Andrew Pattison USA
82 Barry Phillips-Moore AUS
83 Jeff Austin USA
84 Jim Delaney USA
85 John Lloyd GBR
86 John Paish GBR
87 Charlie Owens USA
87 Ian Fletcher AUS

25 Americans, 16 Australians, 7 Brits

[don_budge]

Today...2011

In 2011 11 of the top 100 tennis players in the world are from the USA, Australia or Great Britain.

4 Andy Murray GBR
11 Marty Fish USA
12 Andy Roddick USA
18 Sam Querry USA
33 John Isner USA
65 Ryan Sweeting USA
67 Lleyton Hewitt AUS
84 Robert Kendrick USA
89 Michael Russell USA
91 Alex Bogomolov Jr. USA
96 Donald Young USA

9 Americans, 1 Australian, 1 Brit

[stotty]

Sad...only one Brit...but only one Aussie in the top 100 is the saddest thing...and he's a spent force. I used to love the Aussie players...so nice to watch...

[GeoffWilliams]

Hewitt is a sad thing to watch now, just like Blake; an aging speedster not fast anymore, is like an old whore, not pretty anymore.