Smith pleads for patience and says Britain can win without Andy Murray

Published on Thursday 6 May 2010 21:33

THERE is no quick fix to heal British tennis, according to the Scot charged with masterminding the recovery.

Leon Smith, Great Britain's new Davis Cup captain and the Lawn Tennis Association's head of men's tennis, is confident that a highly promising group of young players is coming through in the wake of Andy Murray, but thinks they are still years away from their best.

In Edinburgh this week to watch the Aegon Pro-Series tournament at Craiglockhart, Smith explained that he has seen the strength in depth of world tennis improve dramatically since the days when he coached Murray as a junior. Much as he has faith in his Davis Cup squad, he does not expect the supporting cast to Murray to suddenly become stars in their own right.

"The likes of Andy, Rafael Nadal, Richard Gasquet, Juan Martin del Potro – there was a wave of them that burst on to the scene four or five years ago," Smith said. "There's not one 19-year-old in the top 100, which shows you that it's different now. The landscape's changed.

"What we've learned from that is we've got to be patient and make sure there's a big group of players on very good development programmes across the country. There are good signs – there are people making good progress in the ATP rankings.

"Look at the likes of Evans, Cox, Smethurst (all called Daniel], Alex Ward. These guys are all 19 or 20 and progressing well in the world rankings. What we can't expect is them to be top 200 aged 18 or 19. It doesn't really happen any more."

While Smith has a long, uphill struggle to improve the men's game as a whole, in terms of the Davis Cup he has taken over the captaincy at the right time, as Great Britain could hardly sink any lower than they are at present. Their rise from the lower divisions of the competition would be speeded up if Murray were part of the team, but Smith accepts that the world No4 has other priorities, and will not know if he is available for the July tie against Turkey until far nearer the time.

"I have not spoken to him about July. He has far more important things to think about just now with the French Open coming up and the grasscourt season, which he can do very well at.

"Those conversations don't need to take place until much nearer the time of the Davis Cup. It's a tie-by-tie basis and we'll speak to him at the appropriate time. If he wants to play, great. If he doesn't, I fully respect that and equally I think we have a group of guys underneath that that can win that match.

"Any team in the world would love to have Andy Murray playing, because it would give you a great chance of winning. At the end of the day it's about winning, and if he doesn't play it's still about winning, but it's about developing and nurturing some other players and I do feel with the group of guys we've got that we can win at that level and we should be able to win at that level.

"What Andy does in world tennis is hugely inspirational, but if he does not play, it gives other people the opportunity to step up to the plate, get Davis Cup experience, but also to win at that level. They are good enough to win. We just have to prepare them as best we can and give them the belief and confidence that they can start winning at Davis Cup level."

Although most of Smith's work is at the elite end, he is keenly aware that the more people take up tennis the easier his job will be, as the heightened competition will improve standards. In that sense, the enthusiasm for the sport generated by Murray's success could have an impact long after his own career is over.

"We are very fortunate to have Andy in British tennis. He's a remarkable role model for all those players – the Davis Cup squad players but also the next generation coming through.

"Our next job now in men's tennis is to create more depth and layers. Any country would be ecstatic to have Andy Murray, it's what we do with numbers 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. It's important to raise more players up the rankings. The talent pool we've got is small."