Double fault?

So who is to blame for the fact that hapless Brits will yet again have to watch from the sidelines as a Swiss or a Serb or a Spaniard lifts the Wimbledon trophy yet again.

According to the head of the Lawn Tennis Association it's me -- or at least people like me, who play what is derisively called "social tennis".

So in a country where obesity is a rising problem; where most adults - and especially most women - get far too little physical activity - why knock a game which people can enjoy playing until they are old (we have ninety years olds playing); which doesn't require you to find 21 other like-minded people for a quick game and which people can and do keep playing (anyone out there playing much netball these days? hockey after thirty? football without needing to spend hours in A and E?).

But social tennis is to blame for the fact that the LTA -- for all its millions from Wimbledon - fails to produce a home-grown champion.

I think they need to look elsewhere for the solutions -- from giving kids whose parents don't play a chance to learn the game - which hardly even happens in private schools these days; to more summer coaching; to more courts; to more indoor facilities. And to stop caring so much - am looking forward to a Federer/Djokovic v Nadal final without ludicrous swooning jingoism from the dreadful BBC commentary team. Tennis is an individual not a team game -- who cares where they come from.

And elite sport needs to recognise its place in the world. If its a choice between sport for the few or sport for the many - chose the many any time - and let's view social tennis as a very good thing - and concentrate on producing the social tennis players of the future. That might even throw up a few really good ones.