LEON Smith calls it "creating hunger in paradise".

No-one exemplifies that maxim more than a certain 27-year-old from Dunblane. Andy Murray's first coach and the current Great Britain Davis Cup captain is referring to the current LTA theory, instigated by recently appointed director of player development Bob Brett, on how to cultivate a winning mentality among kids who have been brought up on the broad, tree-lined avenues of Morningside and Bearsden rather than the mean streets of Eastern Europe or downtown Beijing. The task of building upon the Scot's legacy is the topic de jour following some rather scathing remarks made on Twitter by his brother Jamie towards Tennis Scotland officials this week, but belatedly or not, Smith feels that things are gathering pace.

The plush environs of the National Tennis Centre at Roehampton, once held up as the solution to the UK's tennis woes, have suddenly been decreed as the problem. They have been declared out of bounds, other than for training camps and as a drop-in centre for Britain's top players. Instead, most of UK's aspiring young players are now based at Nottingham, forced to live away from home and develop the stomach to succeed. "The lunches were unbelievably nice," Smith says, "whereas, at the base we have now, it is about [eating] a bowl of soggy pasta then getting back out for your next session."

However they adjust to this spartan regime, Murray remains the model to follow. Smith recognises an almost animalistic quality in the way his former charge battled to back-to-back tournament wins in Vienna and Valencia last month to book his place at the ATP World Tour finals, his tournament kicking off today with a match against US Open runner-up Kei Nishikori.

"Look at the last three weeks, he was like a beast," said Smith. "He really wanted to make the ATP Finals and it is important, too, that he is gunning for a top-four seeding at the Australian Open as well, that makes a big, big difference. He doesn't want to be drawing Novak Djokovic in the quarters out there, so there's still a lot to play for.

"Plus, the tour won't wait for anyone," he added. "You see guys coming through like Kei Nishikori and Milos Raonic, who are both in Andy's group at the finals.

"They're pushing and pushing and you have to keep pushing yourself to stay ahead of them. They will have that hunger and desire as well as having age on their side."

At the time of writing, Andy and Jamie's mother Judy was still participating in BBC show Strictly Come Dancing, and Smith revealed he had been down to practice to pass on a few hints and tips.

"I was invited to one of Anton Du Beke and Judy's practice sessions," said Smith. "It was no different to watching tennis sessions. Anton has that same attention to detail the top players have - repeat, repeat and if it's not right, start again. Judy listens to Anton, he's a big character. But I don't think she listened to me!"