Fleming and Skupski see funding rise after breakthrough season

DOUBLES pair Ken Skupski and Colin Fleming have been rewarded for their breakthrough season with promotion to the Lawn Tennis Association's highest level of funding.

FUNDING: Colin Fleming and Ken Skupski are rewarded for their impressive 2009 season with promotion to the LTA's highest level of funding

The duo were a revelation on the Challenger circuit during 2009, reaching nine finals and winning four, before claiming their first ATP Tour titles at the end of the season in Metz and St. Petersburg.

And having reached the edge of the top 50 (Skupski currently sits at 54, Fleming at 56), LTA player director Steven Martens paid tribute to the work of the pair, as well as 16 other additional players, who have been upgrade to the Team AEGON Programme.

"The Team AEGON Programme is based primarily on an evaluation of whether the players have met their individual ranking target over the past 12 months," said Martens.

"It's really positive to see players make the transition to Team AEGON having shown some real progression over the year and it provides other players with something to aim for."

While Fleming and Skupski are the biggest newcomers to the scheme, the progression of some of those who were already receiving the funding has also been impressive.

Heather Watson was the biggest junior achiever in 2009, stepping out from behind former Wimbledon juniors champion Laura Robson to win the US Open junior title at Flushing Meadows in September.

However, Robson also continued to develop this year, making her senior debut at Wimbledon as a 15-year old wild card and pushing former world number five Daniela Hantuchova to three sets in a first round defeat.

In Melanie South, Elena Baltacha, Anne Keothavong and Katie O'Brien, Britain had four women in the first round of a grand slam - the Australian Open - for the first time in 17 years.

While the British men were overshadowed somewhat, James Ward became the first Brit for 14 years to win a clay court tournament when he lifted a challenger trophy in Sarasota in May.

And the 22-year old was rewarded for his feat by being asked to act as Rafael Nadal's hitting partner at the World Tour Finals in London last month.

But the LTA hasn't been without criticism over the past 12 months.

Keothavong was quick to blast the LTA when she broke into the women's top 50 for the first time in February, while former Davis Cup captain David Lloyd was quick to slam the LTA over a funding dispute for three of his academies in July.

Meanwhile, Naomi Broady, who hasn't received LTA funding since she was suspended for posting pictures of herself in a nightclub on social networking site Bebo, continued her swift progress winning her third ITF tournament on the bounce in La Habana last week.

And Alex Bogdanovic, who is also left out of the Programme, remains the British number two despite failing to win a Wimbledon main draw singles match for the eighth consecutive year.  

Go to page two for the full list of Team AEGON Players for 2010