The heads of British tennis has refused to take responsibility for this year's woeful display by our players and chose instead to put the humiliation down to the luck of the draw.

Lawn Tennis Association officials did confirm that Alex Bogdanovic would not be offered another wildcard unless there was a sign of improvement in his game.

Bogdanovic, Dan Evans, Josh Goodall, Anne Keothavong, Katie O'Brien and Georgie Stoop all fell at the first hurdle of their home grand slam, leaving just Andy Murray and Elena Baltacha to carry the flag.

But Steve Martens, player director of the LTA, felt it was harsh to blame the results on the players alone.

He said: “It was a disappointing day for all of us. But it was an accurate portrayal of the situation of where our top players are in relation to the players they played yesterday on the court.

“They all went out fighting hard. They did as well as they could have done. Apart from Anne who, together with Andy, was playing a player lower ranked than herself, nobody really started favourite to win their match.”

That was an excuse endorsed by head coach Paul Annacone who said: “This year, when you look at the draws that the guys got in particular, it was a bit shocking. I actually thought someone was playing a cruel practical joke when I first saw it.”

Coach Nigel Sears insisted that the Wimbledon debacle should not be seen on its own.

He said: “The grasscourt season as a whole has reflected the progress the girls have made.

“We are definitely moving up the rankings. One of the things that I felt was very important when I came into this job was that the girls improved their world rankings and were able to actually compete on the main tour, which we've seen much more of this year.

“With Anne Keothavong having made three tour semi-finals this year and getting inside the top 50, that's a great reflection of that and our leading example. That's why we were particularly disappointed for her, more than anybody, for her performance yesterday.”

Bogdanovic has now failed to win a singles game at the All England Club despite being given eight wildcards.

Annacone said: “If you got any of the tennis experts around the world to go and watch Alex hit a ball for an hour, they would agree there are very few people better than him.

“So that begs the question, what's the problem? I wish there was a magic pill that he could take or we could give him to address that problem.

“But Bogo' knows the clock is ticking fast and for Wimbledon it maybe has stopped for him and he's in only on his own merits now.”

Martens defended the decision to hand the British No2 an eighth wildcard but added: “I think we are clearly in the position now where next time it has to be on his own merits.”

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