Originally, I meant to publish this on Sunday night – but it was a poor draft, and it slipped. Then work, and an all nighter in the datacentre got in the way, and it’s slipped until Wednesday afternoon.

Unfortunately, everything I was sarcastically predicting has already come true.

We, as in the United Kingdom, have the most prestigious tennis tournament in the world. Various other pretenders will make some noise about their relevance, quality and heritage. But let’s face it, The All-England Club is where it’s at. Those who are simply want to win it. A tennis career without conquering Centre Court is simply diminished.

Despite this national heritage, we’re universally poor at playing tennis to a high standard. For the last fifteen years we’ve had quality representation, but only in the singular. Tim Henman and Andy Murray have single-handedly kept British spirits in a state of mighty self-delusion. Greg Rusedski can hardly be called British – as soon as he opens his mouth that’s given away rather keenly, but he also played his part in the delusion by teaming with Tim Henman to represent the national interest in the Davis Cup, rising the previously forgotten heights.

Then their careers ended, and Andy Murray lost interest in carrying the hopes of a nation on his back – and simply turned it away from national representation. A bit “not-cricket” you have to say, and he’s done himself no favours in terms of hearts and minds, but it has finally brutally exposed just how shallow the tennis gene-pool is in Britain.

It’s been a running joke about the British interest at Wimbledon, and the second-round sweepstake on those managing to survive past their wild cards.  My post would have predicted one – Andy Murray, with the rest swept aside. With the benefit of hindsight as I finish the post, only Laura Robson gave an additionally creditable performance. A likely female contender down the road to be sure. But that’s not now, and it will never be Davis Cup.

The LTA simply doesn’t have any clue on how to change the situation, other than spend money in new and increasingly impotent ways. Murray certainly was never part of the system. He’s earned his position in the world. The others, who have received wild cards virtue only of them being born in the country, have not only received free entry to the first round but the prize money associated with being there. Incredible. It just smells like the gravy train, and/or the LTA using these under-performers in some futile attempt to justify itself.

We run the greatest tennis tournament in the world. We have the worst tennis players in the world.