Four Corners - Tennis Australia

[Redline]

Anyone watch this, very interesting?

The State of Play

Reporter: Debbie Whitmont
Broadcast: 01/03/2010
In "The State of Play" reporter Debbie Whitmont talks to the people at the top of the game and reveals the deals and the feuds that have divided the sport.
Tennis Australia is the body that controls the sport in this country. It runs one of the world's most successful tennis tournaments, the Australian Open. It's never been in a better financial situation but it's sidelined the nation's top male player, it refuses to employ the best coaches and it simply can't produce champions. The question is why?

In January this year Australia's top ranked female tennis player Samantha Stosur found her much anticipated match against Serena Williams dumped from the prime time television schedule. Network Seven decided news, current affairs and a soapie were more likely to provide ratings.
Tennis Australia, the body with the job of promoting the sport in Australia, didn't argue. Instead it stood to pocket a healthy bonus for Network Seven's ratings victory but the episode left a major question hanging over the sport.
Whitmont: "Do you think the people who run the game really care about it? Really care about the sport?"
Lleyton Hewitt: "Ah, I'm not sure. I don't know".
Lleyton Hewitt isn't the only one wondering whether the people who run the sport of tennis really care about the game. A virtual who's who of Australian tennis past and present are now openly questioning the way Tennis Australia has restructured the sport in this country, and who is benefiting from the changes.
The critics claim that Tennis Australia has centralised the control of the sport in an attempt to improve the game's bottom line but has forgotten about the players in the process. As one respected player manager put it:
"Tennis Australia seems to be wanting control over everything that happens in this country with regards to tennis. Any financial dealing in this country, Tennis Australia wants to have a piece of it... and that's wrong."
Tennis Australia's Director of Tennis, Craig Tiley, rejects this view:
"Right from the beginning we've been accused of being too controlling and wanting to have it only our way or the highway. Those are all just simply not true."
Despite this assurance, Four Corners has uncovered significant evidence that power has been centralised into the hands of just a few tennis administrators. According to those who know the sport, this means players are not getting the best coaches available and critics are frozen out.
The main independent coaches association has been "absorbed" into Tennis Australia. The country's "tennis bible" - Australian Tennis Magazine - has been bought out. Even the kids' tennis charity has been scuppered.
Discontent in tennis clubs around the country is increasing. One club has been told it must install a certain type of court surface or face the prospect of losing its tournament. Why is just one surface favoured and who benefits from the installation of this type of court?
The questions don't end there. This week, Four Corners explores allegations that when former tennis star and respected sports administrator, Paul McNamee, challenged for the Presidency of Tennis Australia last year, powerful figures close to the current administration told voting delegates that if McNamee won the job government funding for the country's premier tennis facility would be endangered and Channel 7's broadcast deal might be in jeopardy.
Reporter Debbie Whitmont talks to Tennis Australia about the allegations, about its blue-print for future tennis success and the results it has achieved so far.
"The State of Play" goes to air on Monday 1st March at 8.30pm on ABC1. It is replayed on Tuesday 2nd March at 11.35pm. It is also available online.

 

[CHBench]

Completely forgot about this.

And they've already got the video up.
http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/special_eds/20100301/tennis/

 

[SBI]

Very, very interesting show.

Pollard, Tiley, Wood and Woodbridge come off very badly. Particularly Tiley.

 

[that_dood]

Woodbridge looked like a fool. Check out the extended interview with him. He got owned!

Tiley was very predictable.

 

[Caesar]

Woodbridge looked stupid but I get the impression he's not actually part of the problem. He's obviously part of the system and so he has to push the party line.

Pollard and Tiley came off as very slimey. I couldn't believe that Pollard saw nothing wrong with threatening Kids Tennis Australia over their funding because MacNamee was being critical of them.

 

[damochandler]

it just proved something that we all knew. tennis australia is a mess and it's a massive overhaul to fix it. the people that are running tennis australia are too diluted too realize this.

 

[hirdy_is_champ]

Good to see they didn't push the stupid and completely false line of "omg they're getting rid of tennis courts, that's why we suck". It seems as though TA has pleanty of money, but it certainly doesn't get put into tennis.
I get the impression that Woodbridge is actually trying to help, but whether he believes the AIS program is actually worth it is another thing. I like how the program also pretty showed that while Stosur was playing, we also had to put up with such tripe as "is Venus Williams wearing underwear?"
****ing morons deport everyone!!!

 

[tribey]

Woodbridge looked stupid but I get the impression he's not actually part of the problem.

Forgetting the names of the most promising handful of juniors we have when you're the head of men's tennis is borderline disgraceful. Given his role their bios should be tattooed on the back of his eyelids.

 

[Caesar]

Yeah that was hugely embarrassing. But I've had my fair share of deer-in-the-headlights moments so I'm not one to judge.

 

[matt_897]

That was pretty bad. Woodbridge came off like a complete moron which is a shame ebcause I'm a fan of his commentary, looks he doesn't have too much clue if he can't even names of some of our better players.

Tiley has always come across as a slimey character, Pollard is a moron and so is Wood. Just so many things wrong with the game at the moment here in Australia.

 

[Colin D'Cops]

Despite what everyone is reporting/thinking, things are not going extremely bad. I'm a tennis coach, plus still play points tournaments; and there are some gun players going around. Making that switch is tough in any country (juniors > seniors), but it is a little tougher here in AUS then some other countries though I must admit. Bloody hard money wise with travelling, hotels/motels, nutrition, etc.

We certainly need a few more mentors around helping out some of the juniors, but there are a few such as Rafter & Lleyton who are willing to put the work into our youngsters. Our time will come, be a little more patient. The organisation that is 'Tennis Australia' did look a little ordinary I must admit though throughout this broadcast. Gives the sport some further bad rep, exactly what it needed!

 

[Power King]

Missed this, will watch tonight

 

[red+black]

Gives the sport some further bad rep, exactly what it needed!

I dare you to applaud Channel 7's pathetic coverage of the Australian Open!

Go on, I DARE YOU.

 

[hirdy_is_champ]

Despite what everyone is reporting/thinking, things are not going extremely bad. I'm a tennis coach, plus still play points tournaments; and there are some gun players going around. Making that switch is tough in any country (juniors > seniors), but it is a little tougher here in AUS then some other countries though I must admit. Bloody hard money wise with travelling, hotels/motels, nutrition, etc.

We certainly need a few more mentors around helping out some of the juniors, but there are a few such as Rafter & Lleyton who are willing to put the work into our youngsters. Our time will come, be a little more patient. The organisation that is 'Tennis Australia' did look a little ordinary I must admit though throughout this broadcast. Gives the sport some further bad rep, exactly what it needed!

There's the other issue, that with all their "money" there is no reason why they couldn't address. Whilst tennis might not be an elitest sport if you play weekend competitions in juniors and seniors, it certainly is if you show any promise of making it as a professional. Realistically, how many people who are good at tennis are actually wealthy enough be to sent off by their parents around the country all the time and pay for what you mentioned? In a country of only 20 odd million, that knocks out heaps of people.

 

[Colin D'Cops]

I dare you to applaud Channel 7's pathetic coverage of the Australian Open!

Go on, I DARE YOU.

It wasn't too bad. Showed tennis everyday of the tournament on free-to-air TV, I'm not complaining. That's why there's the option of Foxtel where you can watch it virtually ad-free, but with $$ out of your pocket. The coverage wasn't fantastic, but I had small expectations prior to the tournament so it worked out okay from my perspective.

 

[Colin D'Cops]

There's the other issue, that with all their "money" there is no reason why they couldn't address.

Are you suggesting sponsoring more players? How would you address it?

 

[Selective Retention]

There was no foxtel coverage this year, viewers had no choice bar illegal internet streams.

Anyway fair shady characters involved with the mirvac development, playing management of the AIS squad and the whole court surface issues.

Woodbridge was just LOL worthy, you just can't explain that effort in words.

I think to an extent there is a bitterness amongst some of the old boys club that have been left out in the cold but there's a fair bit of the current administrations work that is highly questionable going on the cases presented in the interviews.

 

[Colin D'Cops]

There was no foxtel coverage this year, viewers had no choice bar illegal internet streams.

Crap, didn't know that. Still, there are plenty of tickets on sale for the Australian Open. Afterall, it is here in Australia and is on the big school holidays (6 or so weeks) for kids. It is on everyday, not like they are starved of tennis during the Aussie Open. Don't think the TV coverage is a major problem to be honest.

 

[matt_897]

I just watched the full Woodbridge interview, oh dear....

 

[hirdy_is_champ]

Are you suggesting sponsoring more players? How would you address it?

I'm referring to the fact that if you actually show promise as a junior it then costs a fortune in sending your child off to tournaments all around the country. Someone who worked with my mum some years ago has a son who was a good junior, these people were quite loaded and even they were complaining about the costs with hotels, air fares etc etc. Not to mention depending on how old the child is, parents don't want to send their kid off all over the country by themselves. That's what I was trying to get at, that many people could not afford this and i.e. its possible that talented tennis players over the years have been lost. This was a while ago now, maybe 8-10 years so it might be different now, but since you seem to be in the know does TA provide any assistance with this sort of thing?

I'd really love to know what countries like Spain and France (though France has dropped off a little bit lately) were/are doing in their programs.

 

[Colin D'Cops]

I'm referring to the fact that if you actually show promise as a junior it then costs a fortune in sending your child off to tournaments all around the country.

Partly of the reason I'm right out of the tennis picture now (and laziness! ). No way I can afford to travel around this country week-to-week, let alone overseas also.

This was a while ago now, maybe 8-10 years so it might be different now, but since you seem to be in the know does TA provide any assistance with this sort of thing?

To my knowledge I can't say they do a hell of a lot, although the Australian Institute of Sport can support a few players plus there are some National Academy scholarships on offer.

 

[Spicy Swan]

I thought the program raised alot of questions .
Should Tennis Aust really be selling courts or paint ?
Should TA be player managers and taking a cut of the players money ?
Where is the money they have made ?

I like the comment from the WA head of tennis when he says people are not playing tennis now. It ( the tennisclub ) was part of social life. People met ,played , had parties , got to meet new people , around the social structure of the tennis club. Now the land is more valueable , so sell the courts.
Shouldn't TA be doing more to get people of any age back on to the courts , isn't that their main job to promote tennis not turn themselves into a business