Tennis has had millions of pounds of funding put on hold unless the sport’s governing body can improve its plan to boost participation. Swimming has also had three years of funding withheld until it can prove its new blueprint to increase numbers is working. The ‘get-tough’ policy to penalise underperforming bodies was revealed by Sport England as it announced the 2013-17 funding levels for all sports. The Lawn Tennis Association may be basking in the reflected glory of Andy Murray’s unprecedented year of success but its four-year plan for increasing the numbers of people playing the sport was declared “simply not strong enough” and £10.3million of its £17.4million total allocation has been put on hold. Other sports such as cycling, netball, triathlon and wheelchair basketball have all enjoyed funding rises of more than 30 per cent. All of the Paralympic sports have seen their funding increase. For tennis, the overall funding will go down from £24.5million to £17.4million and the LTA will have to produce a convincing new plan on how it will spend the 2014-17 money, otherwise it will be distributed in other ways, such as directly to clubs or via trusts and foundations.