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1994: Can BRITISH TENNIS Produce a WINNER? | On the Line | Classic BBC sport | BBC Archive
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21:31Now PlayingWhy is it that Britain, with its long history in the sport and all the resources of the Lawn Tennis Association, is such a Tennis minnow? Why, over the course of 50 years, has Britain failed to produce a single player capable of consistently competing at the top level of the men's game? What is it like for British players to find themselves the subject of the full glare of the hyper critical British media, and the British public, for a few days each year?
On the Line follows the top two British mens tennis players - Jeremy Bates, who for years has borne the brunt of English expectations at Wimbledon, and one of Britain's brightest young prospects Tim Henman, who is rapidly climbing the world rankings and who is likely to shoulder these expectations in the coming years - as they prepare together for Wimbledon and the Davis Cup.
Can either of these players end decades of British underachievement?
Contributing to the documentary are former British number one Andrew Castle, sports journalists Nigel Clarke, Ralph Ellis, William Johnson and Simon O'Hagan, BBC tennis commentator Gerry Williams, tennis agent Bill Ryan, Britain's Davis Cup captain Tony Pickard, former professional player turned LTA coach David Felgate, former player John Lloyd, and former World Karate Champion turned mental toughness coach Geoff Thompson.
Narrator: Roisin McAuley
Camera Operators: Mel Cross, Rick Manzanero, Steve Organ
Sound: David Hall, Billy Young
Producer: Ges D'Sousa
Executive Producer: Tony Moss
Editor: Vyv Simson
Clip taken from On The Line: Days of Hope and Glory originally broadcast on BBC Two, 8 August, 1994
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