WATCH out Andy...there are loads more would-be Murrays in a hurry. A new generation of tennis aces is being lined up for a shot at glory by top coach Toby Smith. Toby, who teaches Scotland's top juniors, says our kids are benefiting from world-class indoor facilities which were denied to Andy when he was growing up.
Maia Lumsden, 11, her brother Ewen, nine, James Shemilt, 10, and Vika Kulik, nine, are rated the best in Britain in their age groups.
And Toby reckons they are capable of following in the footsteps of Scotland's greatest-ever player.
Since he first picked up a racket at the age of nine, Toby's tennis career has been linked to the Murray family. The 34-year-old trained under Andy's mum Judy and his brother Leon coached Andy between the ages of 10 and 17.
Toby, a coach at the David Lloyd Tennis Academy in Anniesland, Glasgow, wants to make tennis more inclusive and expand his programme to deprived areas.
He said: "We have world class facilities on our doorstep and if we can target kids who wouldn't normally play tennis then I will have a bigger pool of talent." Toby studied civil engineering at university and was set to move to London for a job in marketing.
But a phone call out of the blue changed his career path.
He said: "I got a call from a club in New York who wanted me to be their coach. It was the best thing that happened to me. When I came home Judy recommended me to the David Lloyd centres.
"At the end of 2005 I decided to go it alone and set up an academy at the club."
Toby reckons his star pupils will one day repeat Andy's success.
He said: "We've been working hard with the kids. I get to travel the world and work with talented youngsters. I have no regrets about turning down marketing." With the Davis Cup at Braehead, near Glasgow, in March, Toby reckons tennis fever is set to grow. He said: "Tennis in this country is so exciting right now. We have world class indoor facilities."
ha ha ha !!!!!
No Toby is couch from my academy that is all!!
p.s Academy where i work !
01-27-2009, 04:29 PM
aliciasace
dont rly know him.
Wait, your from scotland? duuude, thats cool. Come watch me play, WITH JUDY.
01-27-2009, 05:19 PM
jtas
i work in london head office.
01-28-2009, 06:22 AM
aliciasace
ahh damn.
01-28-2009, 04:42 PM
luckeyduckey
Interesting about Andy. I thought he was really burdened with an attitude that outweighed his tennis ability, but he has, in my opinion, improved so much, but not up there with the top 3 or 4. Do wish that some tennis buff would comment on Djokovic vs Roddick, a game that seemed very unfair to me--not a true test of skill but of ability to suffer the Aussy heat. Commentators mentioned the heat as 129 F. before the match and that Novak had played until the am hours, to bed about 6 am the same day of the match. And then to have air cond. and the roof available but not used! Incredible!
01-28-2009, 05:04 PM
jtas
I must agree with you, Murray's behaviour has improved dramatically in the last 18 months. But we should not forget that he is still only 21. And i'm not sure that it is good for the game that all tennis players are suddenly becoming "cool as ice" without showing emotions. I know that coaches will not agree with me, buta little bit of bad behaviour is good for marketing benefits (ha ha ha).
He didn't win a grand slam so he can not be top 3, but he is on his way.
Well Djokovic definetely suffered and I agree with you, but in my opinion we need our sports stars to give us that little extra, it is what makes them special. And him quitting "again" is not really a good example for younger players.
01-28-2009, 06:41 PM
aliciasace
Hm, well i wish i could be ice cool like the pros. I have a lot of talent but my anger frequently gets in the way of winning matches.
01-29-2009, 11:54 PM
haretrigger
Lap of the gods?
Well one player in the womens final would have lost 2 matches if it had not been for the heat or the closing of the roof in the second match.
Australia is a hot GRAND SLAM!!
