Graphic: SW19 in 60 seconds

There was much shielding of eyes amid the jackets, ties and buffed-up purple badges of the British tennis aristocracy yesterday and with valid reason.

It was best to turn the head away completely for the first two days of the 2009 championships have provided a scene of domestic desolation the like of which has been endured once before at Wimbledon since the sport went professional in 1968. That was two summers ago Of the 11 Britons in the main singles draw - only two of whom, Andy Murray and Anne Keothavong, had a status that merited direct entry - nine were eliminated in the first round to varying degrees of shock, disbelief and displays of gallows humour.

The lone survivors are Murray and the enduringly gallant Elena Baltacha, who beat the fading light to upset Alona Bondarenko, the world No 33 from Ukraine, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. The responses from the first-round losers were generally shallow, the wringing of hands from the governing body predictable — “it’s all the last lot’s fault” is the mantra — no promise of accountability for what has been going on for the past three years, results dismissed in a fog of dreams about better times to come, smashing juniors, don’t worry, we’ll be OK in (think of a year far enough off for people to have forgotten about the promises when we get there in the same old state).

This comes from an LTA regime that decided from its inauguration in 2006 that high performance was the be-all and end-all, that no matter how staggering the investment, Britain would employ a string of foreign coaches, pay them handsomely and success would come quicker than you could say Brad Gilbert.

Instead, as employees depart in demoralising numbers - the latest being the head of media who was unable to persuade her bosses to deal in realities - an uncompromising attitude that they know right and everyone else is wrong has been allowed to fester unchecked. Yesterday's parade of hollow-eyed players was the clearest indication that much is terribly wrong.

Of course, Andy Murray survived but even that was an inexplicably nervous affair, as if one had been plunged into a time warp and made to watch Tim Henman reruns. Murray beat Robert Kendrick, of the United States, 7-5, 6-7, 6-3, 6-4 but, by golly, he put us through an emotional wringer. Actually, everyone on Centre Court yesterday evening looked nervous, ballkids ran into each other, linesmen fluffed calls, apprehension gripped the watching multitude.

But Murray has discovered the knack of finding a way to win that sets him apart from his fumble-fingered compatriots. In defeat, some, but not all, gave their utmost. Josh Goodall, who lost in five sets to Michael Llodra, of France, showed that he has it in him to win a match at a grand-slam tournament one day, he is a much improved player from the one who was terribly tight when he made his Davis Cup debut as the No1 pick against Ukraine in March.

Quite possibly, he was one poorly executed backhand lob at break point at 2-2 in the final set from the victory that could have turned his career around.

Sadly, that does not look like happening in the case of Alex Bogdanovic. On the radio yesterday morning, Paul Annacone, the head coach of men's tennis at the LTA and a man of solid intellect and articulation, described Bogdanovic as “an immense talent”.

If he is immense, what is Murray? Have we lost all sense of perspective? And how can a talent so immense have been put forward for his eighth wild card by a cabal including the same man who, as Davis Cup coach, agreed that he should not have been selected for a play-off for the team four months ago?

Bogdanovic said it does not matter if he lost eight times, or ten, and with prize money totalling £10,750 for first-round losers in SW19 this year, with the prospect of a further rise in 2010, and 2011, maybe he would say that. But of course it matters. Or ought to. He is the second-best male player in Britain with a ranking of No191, it matters that the nation that produces the best tennis show on earth stinks up the place. To the rest of the world, we are simply fooling ourselves.

“All year round, I keep working hard, busting my balls all the way just to win a match, to get my ranking up, to play in tournaments like these,” Bogdanovic said. “I'm still motivated. Every year I am making progress.”

Daniel Evans is considered the pick of the crop to emerge from the juniors into the senior world populated by the hoary likes of Nikolay Davydenko, a four-times semi-finalist at grand-slam tournaments whom the slight right-hander confronted yesterday. If the 19-year-old from Birmingham is to deliver on his promise, he must find greater sustained levels of intensity than was evident on No4 Court. Davydenko on grass is not Davydenko on a hard or a clay court and yet Evans was bewilderingly unable to raise his game to a level when he might have seriously challenged him. He was far too slapdash.

“While Andy is winning, I don't think any eyes are going on any of the others,” Evans said. “Let's be honest, we are all 200 to 300 in the world. They shouldn't know who we are. I'm not going to be 25 still asking for wild cards, simple as that. I won't be 24 or 25 still trying to get into the top 100 or playing futures and challengers. I've got bigger things to do than that.”

What else could you do? “Tesco are offering,” he replied. Who said that every little helps?