Breaking island ties

THREE of Guernsey's top junior tennis players are leaving the island at the end of the summer to develop their game. Rob West is off on a tennis scholarship to America while Patrick Ogier and Dom McLuskey head to Europe to attend top academies.

Along with Heather Watson at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida, it means that four of Guernsey's future stars will be working full-time at their sport.

Unfortunately, it does mean that the Guernsey team that has done so well to stay in the Kia National Clubs League division one south this season will possibly be weakened for next year. West and McLuskey will certainly miss some fixtures.

'The thing is that the level of tennis on the island is so high now that just beating Jersey is not enough,' said the manager of Guernsey's Island Games tennis team Rick Denton.

'The kids are now looking to gain international ranking points. To achieve this, they need to play a variety of worldwide talent, so they have to go abroad. It may be damaging for our immediate prospects, but long-term it is tremendously exciting.'

West has been accepted on a tennis scholarship at Cleveland State University after he applied through the College Prospects of America scheme. After submitting his tennis CV and a video of himself playing, he received a number of offers from colleges.

The choice came down to either Jacksonsville State in Alabama or Cleveland State and after visiting them both earlier in the year, he decided on the Ohio-based college. The Millfield schoolboy is currently studying for his A-levels and he departs on 17 August to start his four-year course, he hopes in criminal justice and psychology.

A typical day will see him have two classes in the morning followed by training all afternoon.

The set-up is impressive: the university has the use of 13 indoor courts, has its own personal trainer and physiotherapist. The standard is of the highest collegiate level as well, as the college is in the top tennis division in the country with the likes of Chicago State and Michigan State.

'It is the next logical step for me as I've already left the island,' said West.

'There is nothing in Britain that compares to the standard over there. Ultimately, if I get to a good enough standard, then I might try and make it pro for a couple of years.

'But really I'm looking to get a degree as it is a university.'

Ogier will have no academic input when he joins Barcelona's Sanchez-Casal tennis academy in September. It is all tennis as he has four hours of training and one hour of fitness work a day.

He plans to be there for two months as part of his gap year before he goes to university the following September.

The Sarnian went to the academy last summer for three weeks and he thoroughly enjoyed the experience. McLuskey has also made the trip to Barcelona and so has the new golden boy of British tennis, Andrew Murray.

Ogier is looking forward to going back.

'It's quite hard work but it's good fun as the people are really nice,' said Ogier. 'I hope to play in some international tournaments round Spain and Europe afterwards.'

The Sarnian is planning to be back in Guernsey next summer and so is McLuskey after he has finished his first year at the ISP tennis academy in Nice.

He wants to follow West to an America college on a tennis scholarship when he has completed the academy.

The 15-year-old is currently taking his GCSEs and will start to study for his A-levels when he goes to the south of France in September.

From that month until February every year, the training is more fitness-orientated and after that time until summer, the academy is involved with tournaments around France.

Former French top-20-ranked players, Charles Auffray and Regis Lavergne, run the academy and with only 25 students present, there are four pupils to each coach.

'I'm really looking forward to it,' said McLuskey.

'Although the standard is all right over here you keep playing the same people all the time. I need to go away and push myself.'