MCTA/TeamBath is a combination of a traditional Academy with the added value of the MCTA Touring Team providing flexibility with its experienced team of coaches and physical trainers who travel with players to tournaments around the world. Players can join the Touring Team for training or travel either as full time members or for short bursts of work on a consultancy basis. Diana Marcinkevica from Latvia joined us for training in Bath for a week in November and Naomi Broady who was coached by David Sammel for 3 years (13-16) at the LTA Leeds Academy teamed up with the MCTA for a 3 week trip to Mexico and Cuba alongside Natasha Khan who has recently joined MCTA full time.

Naomi won her first 25K Challenger in Puebla Mexico and followed up with a win in the 10K event in Havana, Cuba. This 10 match winning streak is impressive. Dave Sammel in assessing the past 2 weeks said “Naomi has improved her consistency but more than anything her shot selection has been good. She has always had a big game and from a young age I recognised not only her potential but the uniqueness of the timing on her one-handed backhand which I believe rivals Justin Henin.

It was for this reason I selected her for the LTA Academy in Leeds in the face of opposition from several colleagues. It has been a pleasure seeing her play at such a high level these two weeks. Simon Broady has chosen an independent path for his two talented children (Liam her brother is also a wonderful prospect) and deserves a lot of credit for his management of their careers. The next step for Naomi is to increase her strength work so she can physically handle the demands of the tour as I’ve little doubt with her all-round pace and big serve she can compete at a high level. She is naturally relaxed and I think we have helped her understand how to manage stress just a little better in matches. Full credit to Naomi for using the tools and having the discipline to manage herself so well, especially playing her first Challenger final where she had moments of severe nerves. Nerves and stress are normal and the sign of a good player is being able to still think and function when this happens. This discipline is essential to keeping up the fight in crucial moments and this is being mentally tough”


Puebla was an excellent tournament and MCTA had the pleasure of welcoming one of the company’s key supporters and investor when Sergio Becker and his son Alejandro drove from Mexico City to watch the final. It was a fun day and Sergio an ex USA college player and teammate of MCTA director Dave Sammel and currently an over 45 Champion in Mexico was impressed with the standard of Naomi’s tennis in the final. Naomi and David returned to Mexico City as Sergio’s guests before jetting off to Havana the following day. Cuba is extremely interesting and the tournament is held at the Occidental Miramar hotel on the outskirts of the city. Naomi arrived full of confidence and Locker Room Power and won the tournament with a sublime display of power in the final and has not lost a set in two tournaments.

Natasha is training really well but not yet doing herself justice on the singles court but has managed a quarter and semi final appearances in doubles. “We are hoping Tash can get some momentum next week and relax on the singles court. Her work will pay off if she allows herself to just play. Having come off a tough year it is hard to break the cycle of hesitation in her game on the match court. Understanding the problem is different from controlling the emotions, which is her challenge and ours” says Sammel. Roxanne Sammel her physical trainer added “Tash is a natural athlete and very strong. I hope she can translate some of the excellent work she has done in the gym to her movement on court”   


Next week is the second 10K in Cuba where Naomi will try for her hatrick and Natasha will try getting her singles on track. Unfortunately Christina is recovering from shoulder surgery, Stefi still has further rehab on her shoulder and Anna is still facing an uncertain future due to no firm diagnosis as to why her foot is still painful when playing. MCTA hope that all three will be back healthy in 2010 which has been a struggle all this year with injury for all three girls.

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