By Simon Austin

I'm on my own now and I know it's going to be tough Alex Bogdanovic

Alex Bogdanovic has denied accusations he lacks commitment after being dropped by the Lawn Tennis Association.

The LTA withdrew his �80,000-a-year funding after he refused to play an event in Athens because of illness.

It was the final straw for head of men's performance Mark Petchey, who wanted Bogdanovic to try to play.

But Bogdanovic told BBC Sport: "It's unfair to say I lack commitment. I got into the game because I love it so much and I practise for four hours a day."

Bogdanovic has been hailed as the future of British tennis since he was a junior.

But he has failed to make the progress hoped for and Petchey, LTA performance director David Felgate and British Davis Cup captain Jeremy Bates have been concerned about his attitude.

Bogdanovic argues the problem is not a lack of commitment but coping with the pressure heaped on him by an expectant media and public.

He reached the second round of the Stella Artois Championship in June last year before going on to beat world number 37 Jan-Michael Gambill at the Nottingham Open for the result of his career.

The Serbian-born left-hander seemed to be on an upward curve, but the wins have dried up since last summer.

"Before the grass-court season last year I was ranked 550 in the world," he said.

"There was no pressure on me, I was having fun and the results came.

The top players have huge desire and commitment LTA men's performance director Mark Petchey LTA deadline for Bogdanovic

"Then the pressure arrived. There was a lot of pressure on me and it wasn't easy to deal with. I was expected to win every match.

"Now I'm just going to go out and enjoy myself and give my all. I've got to keep moving forward."

Bogdanovic argues he was completely unable to travel to Athens for the Futures tournament last month because of a bout of food poisoning that had forced him out of a tournament in Sarajevo the week before.

"I was so ill. I had a fever and was shaking, there was no way I could travel," he said.

But Petchey thought he should have gone to Athens and done all he could to play.

"This isn't something that's happened overnight," Petchey told BBC Sport.

"We have tried very hard with Alex and six months ago I laid things on the line for him, but he didn't improve."

Going it alone means Bogdanovic misses out on the LTA's funding, the services of Swedish coach Martin Bohn and the use of Queen's Club for practice.

This is particularly significant because the clay court season is coming up and Queen's has the only red clay courts in London.

"I'm on my own now and I know it's going to be tough," Bogdanovic admits.