Sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe has raised concerns over the progress of UK tennis after all but two British players were eliminated in the first round of The Championships at this year's Wimbledon.

In an interview with BBC Radio Five Live, Sutcliffe revealed that he was "tired of excuses" for the lack of success and admitted that the way in which elite players are being funded may need to be looked at to ensure that British players are more competitive in future tournaments. Sutcliffe told the BBC: "If you look at the Olympics last year, look at UK Sport are doing - we put the funding in and we have world-class performances. Those athletes don't get paid if they don't perform, and I think that's one of the key issues we need to look at."

Andy Murray and Elena Baltacha were the only two British players to progress to the second stage of Wimbledon, and Sutcliffe is concerned that Britain still lacks the strength in depth to compete alongside other nations, such as Spain and Russia.