Given that there are 12 qualifiers with clearly those seeded for the qualifying spots being seeds q1 to q12, our guys have drawn 2 of the 3 lowest top seeds available for possible FQR matches. Though I guess Dan might have liked seed q24 for his QR1 match !

( disclaimer :) : I am purely looking at seedings here rather than how folk may subjectively or even objectively view the actual difficulty of potential contests )

Qualifying seems to have been rather less than universally popular, given players in the 250s have got into the qualifying draw.

I understand that last direct acceptances to qualifying tournaments always fluctuate but that is a huge difference from last year. Anyone care to explain/offer wild theories as to why that is? Are there fewer challengers in the near vicinity to make it worth the plane ticket for European players or something like that?

bartman2099 wrote:

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Did Evo get a WC ?

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He withdrew. We think it relates to the injury he picked up in Cherbourg where he pulled out ot the doubles.

Thanks guys... Well, that sucks! I was expecting him to light it up at IW and Miami. Didn't think the knee thing was so serious. 

Bob in Spain wrote:

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bartman2099 wrote:

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Did Evo get a WC ?

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He withdrew. We think it relates to the injury he picked up in Cherbourg where he pulled out ot the doubles.

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imoen wrote:

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I understand that last direct acceptances to qualifying tournaments always fluctuate but that is a huge difference from last year. Anyone care to explain/offer wild theories as to why that is? Are there fewer challengers in the near vicinity to make it worth the plane ticket for European players or something like that?

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It could well be to do with the other tournaments on offer but it's also possible that qualifying was so strong last year that a lot of players decided it wasn't worth making the trip this year. I remember the Queen's qualifying entry fluctuating like that in the past - one year, every Brit who wanted to get in did so, another year, hardly anyone did.

It sometimes takes a couple of years of a qualifying event being much stronger or weaker than it used to be before players cotton on, but often the majority seem to all cotton on at once, so that what ends up happening is the exact opposite of what they based their decision on 

Well good luck to our boys, and here's hoping Dan beats all the odds! It's a great chance for him to be competing at Miami.

James has done 'quite well' in his first set, losing just 7 points in a complete rout of Angelinos: 6-0