Why O'Brien is not fit to fly the flag

It was almost as if

Wimbledon had given

British women's No 1

Kate O'Brien a midmorning

start on Court

Three so that by the time

Tim Henman walked on to

Centre Court he could

assume his traditional role of

last remaining British player.

Not that Old Father Tim was to

survive the day.

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O'Brien, 21, lasted precisely an

hour. She was thrashed and

washed and, as stark post-match

verdicts were administered, hung

out to dry long before Baroness

Billingham of Banbury took her

seat in the Royal Box.

To watch Britain's sole survivor in

the women's singles lose 6-0, 6-1 in

the second round to Dutch

teenager Michaella Krajicek was

about as depressing as it gets. This

was a case of women against girls

and the higher-ranked girl won

with embarrassing ease.

O'Brien, you may recall, is famous

for being double handed — playing

Wimbledon with one and sitting

exams with the other. That was

three years ago when taking

A levels in mathematics and

French as well as competing (and

losing, of course).

She was praised for her hard work

and versatility when, of course, she

should have been condemned for

allowing education to get in the way

of sport. Where exactly do maths

and French fit into the requirements

of a leading sports person

when accountants can be employed

to add up the millions and the

common language is English?

You would never have found the

likes of the adolescent Steve

Redgrave, Wayne Rooney or Ricky

Hatton, to name but a few, anywhere

near a pen and paper and invigilator.

That's the trouble with

our young women tennis players.

They are too brainy. Too interested

in improving themselves when all

they should be concerned with is

improving their serve, backhand or

conditioning.

O'Brien admitted it herself, saying:

"I could be in better shape and

I'm determined to put the work in."

What a shame she didn't find time

to tone up before Wimbledon.

They are also, as a genre, too

middle class, too small, too podgy,

too slow, too weak, too polite and too timid. Not too hungry, though,

as O'Brien accepted.

"We're lucky

in this country," she said. "There's

so many different things we can do.

"I had the option of going to university

at one point. It's easy to get

financial security. You can just have

a nine-to-five job and guarantee an

income all the time. I play for the

love of the game. I think it's no

secret that Eastern Europeans

have had to fight for everything

they have. It's the best opportunity

for them to make something of

themselves."

O'Brien insists she is determined

to make something of herself as a

tennis professional with the

opportunities being provided by

the cash-rich, results-poor LTA.

No whingeing — or not much —

from her at the rigid policy

adopted by the game's governing

body.

"I think it is good the LTA

have been tough on the

players who have been

moaning. It is

not justifiable

considering

the funding

they've had.

Some people

just sit there

and take it and

don't put in the

hard work."

Encouraging performances,

yesterday excepted, have raised

her ranking to around 120 and

opened up the possibility of taking

part in better events in North

America over the rest of the summer.

She has been told she will be

provided with a coach on a one-toone

basis when or, more like, if she

reaches 75 in the world.

It is a classic Catch 22 situation.

Although receiving help from the

LTA's Damien Roberts and Nigel

Sears in the past few weeks, she

betrayed a tactical naivety against

Krajicek which screamed of lack of

coaching. Time and again she put

her Dutch opponent under pressure

but failed to hammer home the

advantage by staying on the baseline.

Whether she can climb another

50 places without further personal

assistance remains doubtful.

"It would be nice to have more

continuity or the same coach

throughout the year," said O'Brien. "But it gives me something to

aspire to. In the past they have just

given players coaches when they

haven't warranted it. We've got to

work for it. Maybe that's why I've

done well the last couple of weeks

because I have to prove that

I'm worthy of some assistance."

She manifestly failed in that regard

yesterday with error compounded

by error.

Worst of all, she failed to complete

a service game without at

least one double fault.

The verdict of a courtside Sears

was brief and blunt. "Disappointing,"

he said. "We did not see the

best of Katie today."

Krajicek, the Dutch No 1, is 18

and already ranked 45 in the world.

If O'Brien is the best we have,

then it really is time to fear for the

future of British women's tennis.