British Baroness Targets LTA again

Written by: Staff on 17th May 2012

British Baroness Targets LTA again

Andy Murray of Great Britain returns to Novak Djokovic of Serbia during their men's single semi-final match at the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 27 January 2012. EPA/BARBARA WALTON |

Long-standing critic British Baroness Billingham has launched another salvo at the LTA, this time in Britain’s House of Lords. She called on Sports Minister Hugh Robertson to order an inquiry.

“The LTA are a total shambles, tottering from one broken pledge to another, the British press and the world’s press aghast at the huge cost and pathetic results of six years of mismanagement,” Billingham said. “It is pitiful. I call on Hugh Robertson to set up an urgent review and inquiry into British tennis. He must insist on transparency of all expenditure and salaries, especially given the LTA receives public money – taxpayers’ money.”

Despite Billingham”s comments, Britain has made some progress with Andy Murray being a top 4 player, Colin Fleming and Ross Hutchins being a top 30 team and four British women (two of then teenagers) in the world’s top 150. Britain won the junior Davis Cup for the first time last year, and three British boys made the semifinals of the US Open juniors, including the eventual winner, Oliver Golding.

“The speech contained a number of inaccuracies that do not reflect a true picture of British tennis,” the LTA said in a statement.