‘I will make my girl into a smasher’
A MUM has been ■
dubbed the “new Judy Murray” after taking her tennis prodigy daughter out of an elite coaching school to train her alone.
Elvereen Fletchman moved Jhonayah, 12, away from the LTA’s Regional Centre of Excellence to arrange her own training schedule.
Elvereen, 53, is following the example of Andy and Jamie Murray’s mother Judy, who coached her sons before they went professional.
She has set up her own training plan for Jhonayah – who has already played for Great Britain – and her big brothers Nemiah, 17, and Moeze, 16.
The move stunned LTA ■
chiefs and Jhonayah’s backers at super-agent Paul Stretford’s sports firm.
But mum Elvereen, from Moss Side, Manchester, is convinced she knows how to maximise the youngster’s potential. Jhonayah’s training schedule now includes boxercise classes with former pro fighter Mario Culpeper, 50, to improve footwork and court time with tennis coach Simon Roberts, 34. ■ Elvereen, inset, said: “I am very grateful for everything that everyone has done, but Judy Murray steered her sons to success and I feel as a mother I know how to get the best out of my children.
“I felt that it was time to move on and try and take them up a level.
“The LTA do a fantastic job, but we’re a family from inner city Manchester and we have our own vision on how to progress.” ■ Coach Simon said: “Jhonayah is a real good worker and has much more power than other girls her age. Keeping her consistency up is what we’re working on at present.” He added: “I want Jhonayah playing with the best kids of her age, as she has great potential to go to the very top of the game.”