We may be thin on British players at Wimbledon, but there is a wealth of Shropshire talent helping to run the world’s most prestigious tennis tournament, writes Shirley Tart.

National disappointment apart, the 2010 All England Championships are having a cracker of a fortnight with enough shocks, surprises, amazing matches (including the longest ever) and a visit from the Queen at the famous, ivy-covered complex.

Heading up the Shropshire contingent is Much Wenlock’s Cathie Sabin, a high-powered name in tennis management at both county and national levels.

When I spent a morning with her a few weeks ago at Shrewsbury’s Welti Centre, she was a member of the Lawn Tennis Association main board.

By the time we met up earlier this week at Wimbledon, she had been elected first woman vice-president of the LTA, a three year term officially beginning in December.

Cathie is far more modest about such predictions, but the vice president usually takes over the presidency, so the top LTA job will very likely go to her.

During these championships, she has been watching talented juniors play with a weather eye for talent – and kept another eye on the line judges.

Because not only are 24-year-old twins Michael and Andrew Davies from Shifnal both tennis line judges, so is their dad Les, and all three are in action for the tournament.

Les was spending so much time driving his boys around the country that he decided he might as well get involved himself.

So six years ago he did the training course at Queen’s Club and got through.

Another Shropshire representative is Louise Smith, 24, from Priorslee in Telford. She teaches PE at Woodside primary school in Oswestry and, like the boys, has been a line judge for nine years.

But the Davies men are a unique trio at this year’s Wimbledon.

Michael has also just qualified as a PE teacher, while Andrew is almost full time on the line judge circuit and travelling the world.

His eagle-eye has been trained in tournaments in Australia, USA, Shanghai and many other sporting venues.

And next week, he is off to Turkey with our Davis Cup team  where we all hope for better results.

Last year Andrew was named most promising up and coming official and got the silver salver.

All three young people were taught by Cathie Sabin at Idsall School and it has been her guiding and encouraging hand which helped bring them to tennis prominence in this important part of the game.

For the record, Cathie also taught three English footballers currently making headlines for the wrong reasons – Jermain Defoe, Jamie Carragher and Joe Cole, although she did not teach them football, she hastens to add, with a wide smile.

But many sporting champions did their general schooling at Idsall when they were based at the national Sports Centre at Lilleshall. Since Cathie was at the Shifnal school for much of her career, she taught more than a few.

But tennis is her passion and she is deeply concerned that all which has been invested in it – money, time, expertise – should begin paying off.

The national Tennis Centre, also now headquarters of the Lawn Tennis Association, cost around £39 million. The LTA then hoped it would become a one-site national focus for the sport in Great Britain, giving players the best chance to realise potential by offering world-class facilities and back-up.

Yet the British Tennis website admits: “There is no question that British tennis lacks strength in depth at the top end, but we do have some talented players.”

True. And Cathie Sabin is observing them with a canny tennis eye – she was watching the juniors with the same eye just before we met for tea at Wimbledon.

A former teacher, a fine county player for many years, coach and seasoned talent spotter, Cathie is president of Tennis Shropshire and this year was awarded the National Volunteer of the Year Award by current LTA president Derek Howarth.

She is also chairman of the Schools Advisory Group, a member of the Board of the Tennis Foundation and chairman of the AEGON Classic – held in Birmingham before Wimbledon.

As she prepares to take over the LTA vice presidency, she is absolutely set on opening up the game much further. “I want to see more people playing, make it more accessible. We have schemes of using parks and other local courts and getting into schools to say to kids, come along, put your trainers on and it doesn’t matter what else you are wearing. We just want young people to come and have a go.

“Virginia Wade was saying the same thing the other night. She is also passionate about making it easier to pull more people in,” Cathie says.

She also points to opportunities across the age range and adds: “In Shropshire, we’ve just had a ladies tournament based on Shipton and played on courts around Much Wenlock.

“About 80 women took part, most were just social players and they raised money for the church.

“I want to show that you can play the game at any age, all levels and really enjoy it.”

An attitude which encourages a tennis loving nation and may produce a champion!