Iain Bates appointed new head of British women's tennis

Iain Bates has been named head of women's tennis as part of a shake-up by the Lawn Tennis Association.

Bates, Great Britain's Fed Cup coach, replaces Leon Smith, who will concentrate on the men's game and the Davis Cup captaincy.

Former British men's number one Jeremy Bates has been appointed lead coach for women's tennis.

The LTA is hoping to build on recent success after Laura Robson and Heather Watson climbed into the world's top 50.

"This is a really exciting time for the women's game in this country," said Roger Draper, chief executive of the LTA.

"These changes will help us not only to deliver success in this area, but also enable us to continue to use the inspirational performances of our players to encourage more women and girls to play and follow tennis."