You’ve got to laugh about it really. The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) has sent one of its brightest prodigies – 17-year-old Marcus Willis – home from the Australian Boys’ Open for, wait for it: being repeatedly late, missing his bus and leaving his kit in his room.

So what they’re saying is, one of teenagers in their care isn’t quite up to scratch with his personal admin. One of our talented young sports people, in whom we’ve invested time and money, struggles to keep time proficiently and is a bit absent-minded. And that’s good enough reason to send him home? Either those reasons are a complete cover-up for something far more serious (for which there is neither any proof or rumour) or the LTA is staffed by a bunch of out-of-touch, insensitive, Grumpy Old Men.

Why couldn’t they simply go and wake him up, get him dressed and lead him onto the bus – carrying his rackets – like every other parent/guardian/minder has to with their teens? Has no one in the LTA hierarchy ever had kids?

The LTA was embarrassed last year when some young Brit tennis players were caught on social networking sites boasting of their partying. Stop the Press! Teenager brags to mates about party antics. It’s the headline we never thought we’d see…

(Image: from pixeljones’ flickr stream)