Stella underdog fires broadside at Felgate

14 April 2012

The unlikely British hero of last year's Stella Artois Championships today accused the Lawn Tennis Association of blocking his return to Queen's Club.

Ian Flanagan defied a world ranking of 866 to defeat Mark Philippoussis and Victor Hanescu on his way to the third round in the 2004 event.

Since then, hampered by an elbow injury, the Welshman's form has dipped badly and he is now set to be excluded from the Queen's qualification event this weekend.

Flanagan, who claims to be back to full fitness, said: "I qualified last year and proved I can play at that level. Not many other British players have shown they can do that.

"I think I deserve another chance. Unfortunately, David Felgate [the LTA performance director] would go out of his way to make sure I don't play at Queen's. He tries to make sure nothing goes right for me.

"I have never hit it off with him and he says my attitude is not good enough. I think it's because I have the balls to speak my mind.

"There is not a tennis player in the country who does not moan about the LTA, but they do not do it publicly."

Felgate has hit back, labelling Flanagan "non-league" and arguing there were higher-ranked British players who were more deserving of one of the four LTA wildcards for the Queen's qualifying event.

He said: "Ian Flanagan has talent but he does not work hard enough. This is the equivalent of contacting a Premiership football manager and asking him why a youth player is not in the team. In fact, he's non-league.

"He is totally unprofessional and has not moved on from where he was last year. He's ranked 18 in the country and had 18 first-round defeats."

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Stella underdog fires broadside at Felgate

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