Thompson marks Wimbledon career milestone, Hijikata out after bad light drama
It still paled in comparison to Darderi's fury after Thompson clinched the opening set with his cap in his left hand after it came loose in his service motion. The Australian managed to catch his hat mid-air and continue the point before clinching the set with a neat backhand volley.
Darderi protested for several minutes afterwards, arguing it had distracted him, and he tossed his racquet to his chair as it became obvious he was not going to win the debate.
'My hat's fallen off before, and I know what the rules are. It didn't hinder him – it hindered me,' Thompson said. 'I don't know what he was complaining about … the rule is, if it doesn't hinder the opponent, play on.'
Fifth-seeded American Taylor Fritz, who also won his opening two matches in five sets, stands between Thompson and an unlikely maiden grand slam quarter-final. Fritz downed Spain's No.26 seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-4, 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 6-1.
Thompson won the pair's most-recent clash on grass in straight sets in the Queen's Club quarter-finals in London last year, and Fritz is preparing for a 'tricky' clash.
'I'm not going on the court if I don't think I can win,' Thompson said.
'That's a pathetic outlook if I go out there thinking I can't win. I won last time it was on grass, but [it was] very different grass and different circumstances. It'll be a new day.'
Bad light drama
Thompson is one of three Australians left – along with Alex de Minaur and Daria Kasatkina – after Hijikata's controversially suspended second-round match took a breezy 71 seconds to complete on Friday.
American 10th seed Ben Shelton, who argued animatedly but unsuccessfully for the chance to serve for the match on Thursday night, fired three aces and an unreturnable second serve on resumption that kicked over Hijikata's head to clinch a 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 win.
Shelton failed to convert three match points in a row on Hijikata's service game before chair umpire Nacho Forcadell and court supervisor Ali Nili suspended play the previous night amid boos from the crowd.
Bad light was the official reason, but the dual major semi-finalist revealed post-match it was more complicated than that.
'[The official] said it was a five-minute warning until the Hawk-Eye was going down. That was including the changeover, so there wouldn't be enough time to complete the game,' Shelton said.
'I was telling him, 'I only need 60 seconds'. That's kind of what my goal was when I went out there today [but] he told me there wasn't enough time. I was like, 'Well, has it gone down yet, or did they give you the five-minute warning?' … [and] he was like, 'We don't want it to be in the middle of the game'.
'At that point, I'm not as upset about that decision. It was a difficult decision that was forced because of what they did earlier [in not suspending play at the start of the third set].'
Shelton also played down his fury towards Forcadell as court supervisor Nili came between the duo, saying it was 'nothing' and 'probably looked more tense than it was'.
Speaking after advancing to the third round of the doubles with Dutchman David Pel, Hijikata said the drama did not impact the result but that he would like some clarity on the decision-making.
The 24-year-old Australian said both he and Shelton, who next faces lucky loser Marton Fucsovics, who outlasted Gael Monfils in five sets, would have preferred the match to be suspended at the end of the second set, and queried why play stopped so much earlier on other nights.
'I don't know what the reasoning was, but they told us. By 3-2 or 4-2 [in the third set], it was already dark, then we were playing in the dark for, like, 10, 15 minutes,' Hijikata said.
'It was slippery also. I asked the umpire as well in the third set to come check the court, [and] he said it was fine. I said, 'Mate, I think it's slippery'. Ben agreed … [but Forcadell] said, 'It's the same for both of you', which is the case. But it also means it's maybe not safe for both of us.'
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Hijikata said it was a nightmare to return Shelton's service thunderbolts, which topped out at 234km/h and came down at 200km/h on average.
'It's not easy when you have someone like that coming out for one game,' he said.
'You can pick your return spots or guess all you want, but when he is serving down 145 [mph], or whatever it is, I could have guessed right, and still probably not got a racquet on it. I mean, that's an absolute clinic on how to serve out a match if you've got one game to go.'
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7NEWS
28 minutes ago
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Jordan Thompson's adventures in Wimbledon wonderland keep amazing with the wounded warrior storming into the fourth round for the first time while declaring: 'I'm not anywhere near 100 per cent -- but I'm still fighting my arse off every point.' Harbouring a debilitating back injury that made him moan after his two previous courageous five-set wins that even 'snails move faster', Thompson looked in sharper nick and reckoned he felt much improved on Friday as he beat Italian Luciano Darderi 6-4 6-4 3-6 6-3 in their third-round clash. It booked the battling 'Tommo' his first last-16 appearance at Wimbledon at the ninth attempt, and only the second fourth-round date of his grand slam career, matching his US Open performance of last year and 2020. And it's set him up believing he can prevail in a mouth-watering showcourt last-16 date on Sunday with in-form fifth seed Taylor Fritz, the big-serving American he beat on the grass at Queen's Club last year. 'It's a pathetic outlook if I go out there thinking I can't win. I won last time on grass, but very different grass, in different circumstances. So, you know, it'll be a new day,' said the 31-year-old Sydneysider. On the eve of the Championships, the injury-plagued Thompson wasn't sure he would be fit to play because of the painful sacroiliac joint problem in his back. He has also battled on in the doubles here, so as not to let down partner Pierre-Hugues Herbert. 'When I was warming up for the doubles yesterday, I was seriously questioning what I was doing out there, but I actually felt better as the day went on. 'And today was actually a lot better. Don't know why, but felt half-normal on the court. But to make my first Wimbledon fourth-round under the circumstances at the moment is incredible.' He's the first Australian to reach the fourth round at the grass-court slam this year, with both Alex de Minaur and Daria Kasatkina having the chance to join him on Saturday. In the amphitheatre of Court 18, marathon man Thompson managed to avoid having to go to five sets for a third straight match - while always looking more comfortable on his favourite surface than the 23-year-old grass-court novice, even when Darderi grabbed the third set. There's was a flashpoint on set point at the end of the first set when Thompson caught his own cap as it fell off his head while he returned serve, but the rally continued, he won the stanza, only for Darderi to protest furiously that the point should be replayed because of hindrance. 'It didn't hinder him. It hindered me. So I don't know what he was complaining about, but I get where he's coming from, because it puts both of us off,' conceded Thompson. Last-16 opponent Fritz defeated Spain's 26th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-4 6-3 6-7 (5-7) 6-1, also reporting, like Thompson, he's feeling better by the match after tendinitis trouble. Earlier, Rinky Hijikata's daydream of pulling off the greatest of Wimbledon escapes against American big-hitter Ben Shelton lasted less than a minute when the pair resumed their match that was suspended controversially with the 10th seed about to serve for the match. When the match resumed on No.2 Court in the Friday afternoon sunshine, everyone could see the funny side once Shelton he won all four points in just 55 seconds, including three booming aces, to complete the straightforward 6-2 7-5 6-4 victory in two hours 12 minutes. Sydneysider Hijikata, who had been unable to dent the two-time grand semi-finalist's delivery all match, couldn't help but grin ruefully. 'Last night's experience was bizarre ... but today that was probably an absolute clinic on how to serve out a match if you've got one game to go,' said Hijikata. 'I thought it was bloody good effort by him.'
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an hour ago
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No snail's pace as Tommo breaks new Wimbledon ground
Jordan Thompson's adventures in Wimbledon wonderland keep amazing with the wounded warrior storming into the fourth round for the first time while declaring: 'I'm not anywhere near 100 per cent -- but I'm still fighting my ass off every point.' Harbouring a debilitating back injury that made him moan after his two previous courageous five-set wins that even 'snails move faster', Thompson looked in sharper nick and reckoned he felt much improved on Friday as he beat Italian Luciano Darderi 6-4 6-4 3-6 6-3 in their third-round clash. It booked the battling 'Tommo' his first last-16 appearance at Wimbledon at the ninth attempt, and only the second fourth-round date of his grand slam career, matching his US Open performance of last year and 2020. And it's set him up believing he can prevail in a mouth-watering showcourt last-16 date on Sunday with in-form fifth seed Taylor Fritz, the big-serving American he beat on the grass at Queen's Club last year. 'It's a pathetic outlook if I go out there thinking I can't win. I won last time on grass, but very different grass, in different circumstances. So, you know, it'll be a new day,' said the 31-year-old Sydneysider. On the eve of the Championships, the injury-plagued Thompson wasn't sure he would be fit to play because of the painful sacroiliac joint problem in his back. He has also battled on in the doubles here, so as not to let down partner Pierre-Hugues Herbert. 'When I was warming up for the doubles yesterday, I was seriously questioning what I was doing out there, but I actually felt better as the day went on. Jordan Thompson has done it again, defying his injury to make it to the fourth round at Wimbledon. (EPA PHOTO) Credit: AAP 'And today was actually a lot better. Don't know why, but felt half-normal on the court. But to make my first Wimbledon fourth-round under the circumstances at the moment is incredible.' He's the first Australian to reach the fourth round at the grass-court slam this year, with both Alex de Minaur and Daria Kasatkina having the chance to join him on Saturday. In the amphitheatre of Court 18, marathon man Thompson managed to avoid having to go to five sets for a third straight match - while always looking more comfortable on his favourite surface than the 23-year-old grass-court novice, even when Darderi grabbed the third set. There's was a flashpoint on set point at the end of the first set when Thompson caught his own cap as it fell off his head while he returned serve, but the rally continued, he won the stanza, only for Darderi to protest furiously that the point should be replayed because of hindrance. 'It didn't hinder him. It hindered me. So I don't know what he was complaining about, but I get where he's coming from, because it puts both of us off,' conceded Thompson. Last-16 opponent Fritz defeated Spain's 26th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-4 6-3 6-7 (5-7) 6-1, also reporting, like Thompson, he's feeling better by the match after tendinitis trouble. Earlier, Rinky Hijikata's daydream of pulling off the greatest of Wimbledon escapes against American big-hitter Ben Shelton lasted less than a minute when the pair resumed their match that was suspended controversially with the 10th seed about to serve for the match. Ben Shelton of United States celebrates against Rinky Hijikata. Credit: Hannah Peters / Getty Images When the match resumed on No.2 Court in the Friday afternoon sunshine, everyone could see the funny side once Shelton he won all four points in just 55 seconds, including three booming aces, to complete the straightforward 6-2 7-5 6-4 victory in two hours 12 minutes. Sydneysider Hijikata, who had been unable to dent the two-time grand semi-finalist's delivery all match, couldn't help but grin ruefully. 'Last night's experience was bizarre ... but today that was probably an absolute clinic on how to serve out a match if you've got one game to go,' said Hijikata. 'I thought it was bloody good effort by him.'
The Advertiser
3 hours ago
- The Advertiser
As Aussie as meat pies and Holden: farewell Dapto Dogs
It's a random winter's night at the world famous Dapto Dogs and no more than 50 people are in attendance. The subdued scene makes it hard to believe thousands once routinely packed into the showground's grandstand to watch the greyhounds go around. In less than a year, there will be nobody left in the stands as the lights on the iconic track are turned off for the final time. The first race meet at Dapto was held in February 1937. Next June, just shy of its 90th year in operation, the racetrack will close. The decision came after the showground's owners, the Dapto Agricultural and Horticultural Society, opted not to extend its lease. David from Goulburn, who is happy to chat but prefers not to give his last name, has been a hobby trainer since 1958 and spent decades travelling to racetracks across southern NSW. While the 84-year-old is saddened by the reality Dapto will close, he acknowledges the sport needs to progress. "Racing has been good to me ... there's good money to be earned," he tells AAP. "There was a time there would be thousands of people in the stands but since COVID people prefer to stay at home. "I'll be sad to see Dapto close but that's just progress." Greyhound NSW chief executive Steve Griffin, who took on the job in March, says the organisation initially tried to negotiate a 20-year lease with the owners but were unsuccessful. "It's very much a landlord-tenant thing so we've got no real basis to challenge it," he laments. "At the end of the day we need to make long-term investments in the sport and we're ready to do that, so we need to move on." But the closure at Dapto has been a hard pill to swallow. "For the staff and local trainers who have been using that site for generations, they are grieving and have a sense of loss, as do people in the community," Mr Griffin says. "It may sound clichéd but the Dapto Dogs is as Australian as meat pies and Holden cars and whether you are a punter or not, you have heard of the name. "It is an iconic venue and location and it's disappointing but we do need to move forward." Twenty-year-old Seth Hermann is one of the younger brigade of Dapto locals rarely seen at the track of late. He remembers going to the races with his dad as a five-year-old, back when a full house was the standard. Now an apprentice electrician, seeing the track lights aglow on his way home from work and in the knowledge they won't be on for much longer, he decided to pull in for a drink or two. "I'm not skilled enough for punting but I'll give the dogs a watch," he offers. "Every Thursday on my way home from work, I see the lights and think I should go watch but I don't. "I saw the lights tonight and thought I better come and see it before it shuts because who knows when the next time I can come will be." But even he expected a few more people to have the same idea. "(The closure) is sad news, not so much that it's stopping racing but just that this is something that Dapto is known for," he says. "You see it on TV and you think that's pretty cool, I shop there, I live there." Trainers and punters will still have two greyhound racing options in the Illawarra area, further north at Bulli and to the south at Nowra. Greyhound NSW insists racing is a thriving sport in the state, with 26 clubs. It holds more than 1200 meetings a year, hosting 14,000 races, attracting almost 170,000 spectators and paying out more than $50 million in prize money. It also generates more than $800 million every year, supporting more than 4500 jobs of which almost half are in regional areas. The organisation is currently completing an optimisation process, as there are currently too many racecourses in NSW. Compared to 13 in Victoria, there are 27 in NSW. It's also difficult for clubs to maintain a profit if they are only racing once a week, Mr Griffin says. "We want to connect, excite and delight the community," he explains. "That could mean changing what the product looks like, racing on astroturf and straight tracks, with safety for greyhounds the imperative. "We need to get even better at welfare and reducing injury rates and we need to place the greyhounds in good homes when they become pets." The industry is preparing to celebrate its 100th birthday in 2027. As for the next 100 years, appealing to the next generation will be key to its survival. There are between 200 and 300 trainers under the age of 25, Mr Griffin says. "We are cognisant of the fact the industry has a very aged demographic and we need to have a future of people in the sport," he adds. "It's not an easy life to be a trainer and it's not attractive for a lot of people. "But there are those looking to come into the sport and we need to support them." It's a random winter's night at the world famous Dapto Dogs and no more than 50 people are in attendance. The subdued scene makes it hard to believe thousands once routinely packed into the showground's grandstand to watch the greyhounds go around. In less than a year, there will be nobody left in the stands as the lights on the iconic track are turned off for the final time. The first race meet at Dapto was held in February 1937. Next June, just shy of its 90th year in operation, the racetrack will close. The decision came after the showground's owners, the Dapto Agricultural and Horticultural Society, opted not to extend its lease. David from Goulburn, who is happy to chat but prefers not to give his last name, has been a hobby trainer since 1958 and spent decades travelling to racetracks across southern NSW. While the 84-year-old is saddened by the reality Dapto will close, he acknowledges the sport needs to progress. "Racing has been good to me ... there's good money to be earned," he tells AAP. "There was a time there would be thousands of people in the stands but since COVID people prefer to stay at home. "I'll be sad to see Dapto close but that's just progress." Greyhound NSW chief executive Steve Griffin, who took on the job in March, says the organisation initially tried to negotiate a 20-year lease with the owners but were unsuccessful. "It's very much a landlord-tenant thing so we've got no real basis to challenge it," he laments. "At the end of the day we need to make long-term investments in the sport and we're ready to do that, so we need to move on." But the closure at Dapto has been a hard pill to swallow. "For the staff and local trainers who have been using that site for generations, they are grieving and have a sense of loss, as do people in the community," Mr Griffin says. "It may sound clichéd but the Dapto Dogs is as Australian as meat pies and Holden cars and whether you are a punter or not, you have heard of the name. "It is an iconic venue and location and it's disappointing but we do need to move forward." Twenty-year-old Seth Hermann is one of the younger brigade of Dapto locals rarely seen at the track of late. He remembers going to the races with his dad as a five-year-old, back when a full house was the standard. Now an apprentice electrician, seeing the track lights aglow on his way home from work and in the knowledge they won't be on for much longer, he decided to pull in for a drink or two. "I'm not skilled enough for punting but I'll give the dogs a watch," he offers. "Every Thursday on my way home from work, I see the lights and think I should go watch but I don't. "I saw the lights tonight and thought I better come and see it before it shuts because who knows when the next time I can come will be." But even he expected a few more people to have the same idea. "(The closure) is sad news, not so much that it's stopping racing but just that this is something that Dapto is known for," he says. "You see it on TV and you think that's pretty cool, I shop there, I live there." Trainers and punters will still have two greyhound racing options in the Illawarra area, further north at Bulli and to the south at Nowra. Greyhound NSW insists racing is a thriving sport in the state, with 26 clubs. It holds more than 1200 meetings a year, hosting 14,000 races, attracting almost 170,000 spectators and paying out more than $50 million in prize money. It also generates more than $800 million every year, supporting more than 4500 jobs of which almost half are in regional areas. The organisation is currently completing an optimisation process, as there are currently too many racecourses in NSW. Compared to 13 in Victoria, there are 27 in NSW. It's also difficult for clubs to maintain a profit if they are only racing once a week, Mr Griffin says. "We want to connect, excite and delight the community," he explains. "That could mean changing what the product looks like, racing on astroturf and straight tracks, with safety for greyhounds the imperative. "We need to get even better at welfare and reducing injury rates and we need to place the greyhounds in good homes when they become pets." The industry is preparing to celebrate its 100th birthday in 2027. As for the next 100 years, appealing to the next generation will be key to its survival. There are between 200 and 300 trainers under the age of 25, Mr Griffin says. "We are cognisant of the fact the industry has a very aged demographic and we need to have a future of people in the sport," he adds. "It's not an easy life to be a trainer and it's not attractive for a lot of people. "But there are those looking to come into the sport and we need to support them." It's a random winter's night at the world famous Dapto Dogs and no more than 50 people are in attendance. The subdued scene makes it hard to believe thousands once routinely packed into the showground's grandstand to watch the greyhounds go around. In less than a year, there will be nobody left in the stands as the lights on the iconic track are turned off for the final time. The first race meet at Dapto was held in February 1937. Next June, just shy of its 90th year in operation, the racetrack will close. The decision came after the showground's owners, the Dapto Agricultural and Horticultural Society, opted not to extend its lease. David from Goulburn, who is happy to chat but prefers not to give his last name, has been a hobby trainer since 1958 and spent decades travelling to racetracks across southern NSW. While the 84-year-old is saddened by the reality Dapto will close, he acknowledges the sport needs to progress. "Racing has been good to me ... there's good money to be earned," he tells AAP. "There was a time there would be thousands of people in the stands but since COVID people prefer to stay at home. "I'll be sad to see Dapto close but that's just progress." Greyhound NSW chief executive Steve Griffin, who took on the job in March, says the organisation initially tried to negotiate a 20-year lease with the owners but were unsuccessful. "It's very much a landlord-tenant thing so we've got no real basis to challenge it," he laments. "At the end of the day we need to make long-term investments in the sport and we're ready to do that, so we need to move on." But the closure at Dapto has been a hard pill to swallow. "For the staff and local trainers who have been using that site for generations, they are grieving and have a sense of loss, as do people in the community," Mr Griffin says. "It may sound clichéd but the Dapto Dogs is as Australian as meat pies and Holden cars and whether you are a punter or not, you have heard of the name. "It is an iconic venue and location and it's disappointing but we do need to move forward." Twenty-year-old Seth Hermann is one of the younger brigade of Dapto locals rarely seen at the track of late. He remembers going to the races with his dad as a five-year-old, back when a full house was the standard. Now an apprentice electrician, seeing the track lights aglow on his way home from work and in the knowledge they won't be on for much longer, he decided to pull in for a drink or two. "I'm not skilled enough for punting but I'll give the dogs a watch," he offers. "Every Thursday on my way home from work, I see the lights and think I should go watch but I don't. "I saw the lights tonight and thought I better come and see it before it shuts because who knows when the next time I can come will be." But even he expected a few more people to have the same idea. "(The closure) is sad news, not so much that it's stopping racing but just that this is something that Dapto is known for," he says. "You see it on TV and you think that's pretty cool, I shop there, I live there." Trainers and punters will still have two greyhound racing options in the Illawarra area, further north at Bulli and to the south at Nowra. Greyhound NSW insists racing is a thriving sport in the state, with 26 clubs. It holds more than 1200 meetings a year, hosting 14,000 races, attracting almost 170,000 spectators and paying out more than $50 million in prize money. It also generates more than $800 million every year, supporting more than 4500 jobs of which almost half are in regional areas. The organisation is currently completing an optimisation process, as there are currently too many racecourses in NSW. Compared to 13 in Victoria, there are 27 in NSW. It's also difficult for clubs to maintain a profit if they are only racing once a week, Mr Griffin says. "We want to connect, excite and delight the community," he explains. "That could mean changing what the product looks like, racing on astroturf and straight tracks, with safety for greyhounds the imperative. "We need to get even better at welfare and reducing injury rates and we need to place the greyhounds in good homes when they become pets." The industry is preparing to celebrate its 100th birthday in 2027. As for the next 100 years, appealing to the next generation will be key to its survival. There are between 200 and 300 trainers under the age of 25, Mr Griffin says. "We are cognisant of the fact the industry has a very aged demographic and we need to have a future of people in the sport," he adds. "It's not an easy life to be a trainer and it's not attractive for a lot of people. "But there are those looking to come into the sport and we need to support them." It's a random winter's night at the world famous Dapto Dogs and no more than 50 people are in attendance. The subdued scene makes it hard to believe thousands once routinely packed into the showground's grandstand to watch the greyhounds go around. In less than a year, there will be nobody left in the stands as the lights on the iconic track are turned off for the final time. The first race meet at Dapto was held in February 1937. Next June, just shy of its 90th year in operation, the racetrack will close. The decision came after the showground's owners, the Dapto Agricultural and Horticultural Society, opted not to extend its lease. David from Goulburn, who is happy to chat but prefers not to give his last name, has been a hobby trainer since 1958 and spent decades travelling to racetracks across southern NSW. While the 84-year-old is saddened by the reality Dapto will close, he acknowledges the sport needs to progress. "Racing has been good to me ... there's good money to be earned," he tells AAP. "There was a time there would be thousands of people in the stands but since COVID people prefer to stay at home. "I'll be sad to see Dapto close but that's just progress." Greyhound NSW chief executive Steve Griffin, who took on the job in March, says the organisation initially tried to negotiate a 20-year lease with the owners but were unsuccessful. "It's very much a landlord-tenant thing so we've got no real basis to challenge it," he laments. "At the end of the day we need to make long-term investments in the sport and we're ready to do that, so we need to move on." But the closure at Dapto has been a hard pill to swallow. "For the staff and local trainers who have been using that site for generations, they are grieving and have a sense of loss, as do people in the community," Mr Griffin says. "It may sound clichéd but the Dapto Dogs is as Australian as meat pies and Holden cars and whether you are a punter or not, you have heard of the name. "It is an iconic venue and location and it's disappointing but we do need to move forward." Twenty-year-old Seth Hermann is one of the younger brigade of Dapto locals rarely seen at the track of late. He remembers going to the races with his dad as a five-year-old, back when a full house was the standard. Now an apprentice electrician, seeing the track lights aglow on his way home from work and in the knowledge they won't be on for much longer, he decided to pull in for a drink or two. "I'm not skilled enough for punting but I'll give the dogs a watch," he offers. "Every Thursday on my way home from work, I see the lights and think I should go watch but I don't. "I saw the lights tonight and thought I better come and see it before it shuts because who knows when the next time I can come will be." But even he expected a few more people to have the same idea. "(The closure) is sad news, not so much that it's stopping racing but just that this is something that Dapto is known for," he says. "You see it on TV and you think that's pretty cool, I shop there, I live there." Trainers and punters will still have two greyhound racing options in the Illawarra area, further north at Bulli and to the south at Nowra. Greyhound NSW insists racing is a thriving sport in the state, with 26 clubs. It holds more than 1200 meetings a year, hosting 14,000 races, attracting almost 170,000 spectators and paying out more than $50 million in prize money. It also generates more than $800 million every year, supporting more than 4500 jobs of which almost half are in regional areas. The organisation is currently completing an optimisation process, as there are currently too many racecourses in NSW. Compared to 13 in Victoria, there are 27 in NSW. It's also difficult for clubs to maintain a profit if they are only racing once a week, Mr Griffin says. "We want to connect, excite and delight the community," he explains. "That could mean changing what the product looks like, racing on astroturf and straight tracks, with safety for greyhounds the imperative. "We need to get even better at welfare and reducing injury rates and we need to place the greyhounds in good homes when they become pets." The industry is preparing to celebrate its 100th birthday in 2027. As for the next 100 years, appealing to the next generation will be key to its survival. There are between 200 and 300 trainers under the age of 25, Mr Griffin says. "We are cognisant of the fact the industry has a very aged demographic and we need to have a future of people in the sport," he adds. "It's not an easy life to be a trainer and it's not attractive for a lot of people. "But there are those looking to come into the sport and we need to support them."
