Klein Expected To Switch From Australia To Great Britain

Written by: Staff on 13th May 2013

Klein Expected To Switch From Australia To Great Britain

epa01656583 Australia's Brydan Klein returns the ball to Thailand's Danai Udomchoke during their Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Group 1, second round match at National Tennis Development Centre in Bangkok, Thailand, 06 March 2009. EPA/NARONG SANGNAK |

Britain’s Lawn Tennis Association has never been averse to importing foreign talent, be it on the playing or coaching front. Nearly 18 years ago Greg Rusedski forgot his Canadian upbringing to become British, seven years ago outlandish overtures were made to Novak Djokovic and now Australian miscreant Brydan Klein, born and raised in Western Australia but whose mother came from Manchester, could soon be playing under the Union Flag.

Klein, Australian Open junior champion in 2007, has a thick disciplinary file at the headquarters of Tennis Australia and ironically it was an incident in Eastbourne two years later and the subsequent repercussions in Australia that soured relations between the player’s family and the national sporting body.

The young Aussie was found guilty of using racial slurs towards a South African opponent, Raven Klaasen, at a Challenger event at the English south coast resort. Klein issued an apology but was still fined $24,000 and banned from playing any ATP World Tour affiliated match for six months.

Now the British LTA has been made aware that Klein, now aged 23, is considering a switch of nationality, which has to be endorsed by the ITF before it can become permanent.

The player is currently ranked world no.241 although he has been playing the majority of his tennis on the ITF Futures circuit. In 2013 he has only played nine events without any great success. However if he defected to Britain he would be the nation’s third ranked player behind Andy Murray and James Ward.

After a history of early unsavory incidents, Klein’s father Verne, has insisted that his son is a “well-adjusted kid” who had been punished by media overreaction. “He doesn’t go out and get drunk, he’s not a wild party animal,” Verne Klein said. “Off the court, he is quite placid and demure.”

Two of Britain’s three leading women players, Laura Robson and Johanna Konta are Australian born and the latter went through a protracted switch of nationality that only saw her awarded a British passport last August.

©Daily Tennis News Wire

Topics: Australian tennis news, British tennis news, Brydan Klein, Lta, Tennis Australia