Wimbledon wildcards 2017 - Women

wimdledont · Challenger level

Wimbledon wildcards 2017

skibbarriz · Strong Club Player

Unlike Phil, I have no knowledge of this Richard Joyner chap but he should now make it clear to that same audience that Robbo isn't playing his event. Pulling stunts like this can negatively affect how players are viewed by fans.
Potentially already there are some tennis fans in the Manchester area feeling disappointed with Laura. I can be critical of her as a tennis player but at the same time I don't like to see things like this.

indiana · Tennis legend

Yes, if Laura has simply been keeping her options open like players so often do and had not stated she was definitely playing ( and people here had already seen why that might be doubtful ) then the fault is with the tournament, making what would possibly prove to be misleading use ( as it has proved ) of a player who they knew would attract interest. And yes, they now need to clarify the position.

paulisi · Tennis legend

Naomi was always the ticket seller for Manchester - local girl on all the posters.
Richard Joyner told me she committed to the tournament in November.

The other high profile players were always subject to the chance of a few wins against a decent pay packet at a WTA event. I'm not surprised Laura and Tara have to e down that route.

PockyTastic · Futures level

The decision for the selectors got harder this week with Harriet and Katy doing well in Surbiton. Unless Katy continues this form in the next few 100Ks I'm not sure she'll be picked, but Harriet surely has a chance of sneaking one? It would be a shame for Katie Boulter if she got bumped considering her form, so it's down to Harriet or Heather to secure the wildcard for winning in Surbiton.

Helen40 · Grand Slam Champion

When do the WCs get announced?

the addict · Tennis legend

Committee meets Tuesday 20th June, so another week to make an impression !

Andy Parker · Strong Club Player

Everyone seems to assume that there can only be five Brits awarded wildcards and somehow three others are spoken for. As far as I know there are absolutely no rules regarding who is chosen for the 8 wildcards and each year normally some big name foreign player gets at least one of the wildcards. I think that could happen this year, as Sabine Lisicki is likely to be fit for Wimbledon, and it is even possible that Daniella Hantuchova is over the stress fracture to her ribs and is given a second one. Even then, I still think that there could be six Brits in with a shout; Heather Watson and Naomi Broady should be certs, but I think that Tara Moore. Laura Robson, Katie Boulter, Katie Swan and Harriet Dart all have a strong case, if Hantuchova doesn't get one. Sabine Lisicki is listed as scratched for qualifying, but as she is listed to be playing at least one tournament before Wimbledon, I am sure she would therefore be eligible for a wildcard, and if eligible, then she is a dead cert to get one. Wimbledon picks not only our best Brits, but the players who raise the profile of the game - ie. those who have achieved a lot before in their careers at Wimbledon, so don't rule out some foreign wildcards in there. Hopefully all eight qualies places will go to our women.

DF · Tennis legend

Welcome to the board Andy Parker. We will find out in 9 days time!

Shhh · Challenger level

Welcome Andy...........and good points!

DavidC · Tennis legend

Welcome to the board Andy. Just to clear up the situation regarding Sabine Lisicki. She has entered with her protected ranking so will not need a wildcard (www.wimbledon.com/pdf/LadiesSinglesEntries2017.pdf - position 94) but other non-Brits may well be under consideration

indiana · Tennis legend

Welcone, Andy.

For clarification, talk of 8 British WCs ( to each of the men and women ) will generally be to do with the normal ( and being assumed again ) maximum of 8 total WCs ( MD plus Qualifying ) WCs that the LTA set as a limit on their initial recommendations to the AELTC. Then two further British Q WCs come from the Q WC play-offs plus usually more if there are spaces still available after the then declared and earned total WCs ( British and foreign )

Around this we may speculate a) who the max initial 8 Brits will be and b) who might get MD and who Q WC, the British MD WCs limited by number available taking account of others and probably more pertinently reasonable expectations from precedence and the players' abilities. This year on the women's side, with only Jo a MD direct acceptance, there are probably more British women being seriously discussed for MD WCs than usual.

I would think most folk are very well aware that some in particular MD and also possibly Q WCs go to foreign players, often for very good reasons, its just that our concentration re WCs is a rather Brit centric rather than speculation re others, though the now to be totally absent ( injured ) Sharapova took up a fair space in some threads this year. It's a kind of annual thing, which Brita are going to get what Wimbledon WCs?

Andy Parker · Strong Club Player

Thanks for the replies to my post, in particular David C, who respectfully drew my attention to the fact that Sabine Lisicki will gain entry through her protected ranking. She had dropped so much in the rankings recently, due to her injuries, that I forgot that at the ridiculously early cut off point for Wimbledon seedings and entry that she was still actually in the top 100 when the cut was made.

I must admit though, that I was intrigued by the suggestion that three of the main draw wildcards will have to come from the winnners of the 100k tournaments - is this really correct, and if so, where is that information made explicit? The reason I ask is that Wimbledon tends to do whatever it likes - other Grand Slams for instance play the middle Sunday, there are less entrants in the mixed doubles and the men's doubles is still over 5 sets; I could mention ticketing. queueing etc; my point is simply those who organise Wimbledon, rightfully regard themselves as the organisers of the biggest tennis event in the calendar and therefore ignore what any of the other tournaments or other Grand Slams do, and I think as regards wildcards that there is an excellent case for selecting lots of British women this year, and hopefully they will reward all of our best tennis players with direct entry.

Anyway if there is some edict that three of the wildcards have to come from the 100k tournaments, I would be very interested to see where the info is - I feel that the reason that Wimbledon has not picked so many British women as wildcards in past years is because the rankings were very low, but now with three of our women just missing out on direct entrance by right (Watson, Broady, Moore) and lots of others reasonably high in the rankings that there is a definite case this year for maybe seven women to be given direct entry to the main draw (plus Hantuchova), and then for the next best eight to be given entry to the qualifying draw.

scottie1 · Futures level

Andy Parker wrote:
Thanks for the replies to my post, in particular David C, who respectfully drew my attention to the fact that Sabine Lisicki will gain entry through her protected ranking. She had dropped so much in the rankings recently, due to her injuries, that I forgot that at the ridiculously early cut off point for Wimbledon seedings and entry that she was still actually in the top 100 when the cut was made.
I must admit though, that I was intrigued by the suggestion that three of the main draw wildcards will have to come from the winnners of the 100k tournaments - is this really correct, and if so, where is that information made explicit? The reason I ask is that Wimbledon tends to do whatever it likes - other Grand Slams for instance play the middle Sunday, there are less entrants in the mixed doubles and the men's doubles is still over 5 sets; I could mention ticketing. queueing etc; my point is simply those who organise Wimbledon, rightfully regard themselves as the organisers of the biggest tennis event in the calendar and therefore ignore what any of the other tournaments or other Grand Slams do, and I think as regards wildcards that there is an excellent case for selecting lots of British women this year, and hopefully they will reward all of our best tennis players with direct entry.
Anyway if there is some edict that three of the wildcards have to come from the 100k tournaments, I would be very interested to see where the info is - I feel that the reason that Wimbledon has not picked so many British women as wildcards in past years is because the rankings were very low, but now with three of our women just missing out on direct entrance by right (Watson, Broady, Moore) and lots of others reasonably high in the rankings that there is a definite case this year for maybe seven women to be given direct entry to the main draw (plus Hantuchova), and then for the next best eight to be given entry to the qualifying draw.

Hantuchova got a wild card last year I am sure! Her best days are behind her just my opinion but there are others more worthy of a wild card

A131 · Intermediate Club Player

Andy Parker wrote:
Everyone seems to assume that there can only be five Brits awarded wildcards and somehow three others are spoken for. As far as I know there are absolutely no rules regarding who is chosen for the 8 wildcards and each year normally some big name foreign player gets at least one of the wildcards. I think that could happen this year, as Sabine Lisicki is likely to be fit for Wimbledon, and it is even possible that Daniella Hantuchova is over the stress fracture to her ribs and is given a second one. Even then, I still think that there could be six Brits in with a shout; Heather Watson and Naomi Broady should be certs, but I think that Tara Moore. Laura Robson, Katie Boulter, Katie Swan and Harriet Dart all have a strong case, if Hantuchova doesn't get one. Sabine Lisicki is listed as scratched for qualifying, but as she is listed to be playing at least one tournament before Wimbledon, I am sure she would therefore be eligible for a wildcard, and if eligible, then she is a dead cert to get one. Wimbledon picks not only our best Brits, but the players who raise the profile of the game - ie. those who have achieved a lot before in their careers at Wimbledon, so don't rule out some foreign wildcards in there. Hopefully all eight qualies places will go to our women.

Well Andy - you have certainly picked a topic to start with but welcome to the board.

Regular posters already know my views on Grand Slam Main Draw Wild cards and in an ideal world I would scrap them or have then drastically reduced but realistically I am aware that TD's would never go for that. Have much less of an issue with wc being awarded at regular tournaments or below as there is more of a need to create interest and revenue which is much less the case for a grand slam event in my view. Too much bias and favouritism involved and feel that though the ranking system is by no means a perfect science or perfect system those who have attained a ranking of 112 or above at the relevant cut off point should get direct entry. Those below should contest qualifying and any wild cards awarded here rather than the main draw.

Just for example - If players are fighting and working hard to climb the rankings or even maintain their ranking just to gain entry into the qualifying draw let alone the main draw, over the course of a year (not just a few weeks) on all surfaces in varying conditions then from that perspective why should the likes of Harriet Dart and others be given or even be considered for special treatment over and above those who ranked 30,40, or in some cases ranked over 100 places above them. But I suppose that is just the difference between those who believe in the wild card system and those in the minority, like me, that don't.