Wimbledon WC's

ForeverDelayed · Grand Slam Champion

RE: Wimbledon WC's

wolf · Tennis legend

Nah, it was in Shrewsbury last year where he absolutely hammered Goodall. He does look like more of a hard/indoor court player, but if Nadal can translate his form to grass I am sure he can!

Pleased they have seen sense with the doubles wc's.

ForeverDelayed · Grand Slam Champion

Apparantly:

AELTC informed the ITF that they were not going to award the last two men's wild cards. By rule, the wild cards go to the next players on the alternate list (currently Spadea & Ascione).

So what this tells us is:

They thought that Igor Kunitsyn was worthy of a WC to Wimbledon

And they didn't have a clue who to give two WC's to, which is not exactly the kind of body you want to be in charge of a tennis tournament and so threw away 2 precious WC's (and presumbaly they are going to go down the list if someone withdraws, so Martin Vassallo Argunello, the well known grass court specialist, is next in line for a WC)

I've tried my best to defend the LTA and the AELTC over their WC choices, showing why they be considered right, but this is just ridiculous and disgraceful, and I don't want the AELTC in charge of Wimbledon any more, as they haven't got a clue how to run a tennis tournament.

If Vassallo does get a WC by entry list, then I hope he fixes his first round match just to show how pointless and ridiculous the WC is, and I hope when some of these players get thrashed in the first round the British media pick up on this situation and say how the WC's have been wasted, just like they'd do if British players had lost.

If anyone wants to insult the AELTC, please, go ahead - I won't be trying to defend them anymore!

steven · Tennis legend

splutter

Ok, well rather than lay into them again, I'll refer you to the comments I made some moments ago. Actually no, I'll do that and add a few more here.

What high farce it would be if Vass. Arg. got in - he's probably about as good on grass as Chucky Berlocq, the guy Bloomers blew off the court two years ago. Still, at least it would give Boggo a 1 in 190 (*) chance of getting the Wimbledon R1 draw that he's always dreamt of ...

It sounds to me like this is a cobbled together worst of all worlds compromise designed to show that the LTA are not going to go back on their 'getting tough' (only on the Brits, naturally) policy, which has left the Wimby WCs neither helping the home country's players nor helping the tournament to have more matches that the local fans want to see, as evidenced by which matches on the outside courts are by far the most popular during the first couple of days.

I imagine either or both of the LTA and/or the AELTC could have brought a halt to this shambles if they had really wanted to, but no, saving face over a policy that was asking for trouble in the first place (and that most people probably don't even remember) is far more important.

So what ARE they going to do if one of the Brits who could conceivably win a match at Wimby gets stranded in Nottingham? Deny them any chance of getting to Wimby because they've committed the heinous sin of winning a few matches, even though they've got more main draw WCs than they know what to do with? bleh

(*)
chance of any given non-seed avoiding a seed in R1 = 0.5
x
change of any given non-seed who avoids a seed meeting a specific non-seed in R1 = 1/95

-- Edited by steven at 00:04, 2008-06-14

Salmon · Tennis legend

I think that they won't save their face even now. Till last year, the papers bashed them because no one won a round. This year the papers will bash them because their's no one to win a round.

Lovely posts by you two!

mjd · Challenger qualifying

Written by AELTC
Gentlemens Singles

Jamie Baker (GBR)
Alex Bogdanovic (GBR)
Jeremy Chardy (FRA)
Frank Dancevic (CAN)
Xavier Malisse (BEL)
Igor Kunitsyn (RUS)
Vincent Spadea (USA)
Thierry Ascione (FRA)

Ladies' Singles

Elena Baltacha (GBR)
Naomi Cavaday (GBR)
Katie OBrien (GBR)
Urszula Radwankska (POL)
Melanie South (GBR)
Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP)
Samantha Stosur (AUS)
Jie Sheng (CHN)

Mens Doubles

James Auckland (GBR) and Jamie Delgado (GBR)
Neil Bamford (GBR) and Joshua Goodall (GBR)
Richard Bloomfield (GBR) and Kenneth Skupski (GBR)
Alex Bogdanovic (GBR) and Jonathan Marray (GBR)
Chris Eaton (GBR) and Alexander Slabinsky (GBR)

Ladies Doubles

Elena Baltacha (GBR) and Naomi Cavady (GBR)
Amanda Elliot (GBR) and Katie OBrien (GBR)
Anne Keothavong (GBR) and Melanie South (GBR)
Anna Fitzpatrick (GBR) and Anna Hawkins (GBR)
Sarah Borwell (GBR) and Jocelyn Rae (GBR)

Qualifying Gentlemen's Singles

Richard Bloomfield (GBR)
Edward Seator (GBR)
Kenneth Skupski (GBR)
Jonathan Marray (GBR)
Daniel Cox (GBR)
Morgan Phillips (GBR)
Chris Eaton (GBR)
Next direct acceptance
Next direct acceptance

Qualifying Ladies Singles

Sarah Borwell (GBR)
Amanda Elliot (GBR)
Anna Fitzpatrick (GBR)
Georgie Stoop (GBR)
Anna Smith (GBR)
Elizabeth Thomas (GBR)
Naomi Broady (GBR)
Tara Moore (GBR)

http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/news/articles/2008-06-13/200806101213108347563.html

-- Edited by mjd at 21:18, 2008-06-15

Salmon · Tennis legend

I'll be sick if anyone barring Evski and Marcus gets the qualies wild cards.

Simon · Lower Club Player

So Ward and Slabinsky are denied as they have been given Nottingham MD WCs? Or maybe they will get the final two places and play both tournaments?

johnnylad · Tennis legend

They can't Simon because the wimbly qualies draw is made today and Nottingham main draw doesn't commence until tomorrow. So they can't be out of Nottingham in time!

So Ward and Slabba have been given Nottingham Main Draw wc's instead of Wimbledon qualifying ones.

They can still pick up a little money in Wimbledon doubles.

mjd · Challenger qualifying

steven wrote:
..................What high farce it would be if Vass. Arg. got in - he's probably about as good on grass as Chucky Berlocq, the guy Bloomers blew off the court two years ago. Still, at ................

By the way, two years on and Berlocq is still in the top 100 at 93 - so he must be finding the right tournaments.

steven · Tennis legend

Berlocq has an ok record in clay court Challengers (a win and a couple of Finals), he's reached the QFs of a couple of weak ATPs, though he normally goes out in R1 of main tour events, R1 exits in all four slams and the two AMS events he's played.

However, he managed to win a grass court match last year - 2-6 6-3 6-2 against Juan Carlos Ferrero in R1 at Rosmalen. There must be a bit of a story behind that one!

-- Edited by steven at 10:37, 2008-06-15

The Hoose · Satellite level

At least Spadea and Ascione are from grand-slam playing nations so perhaps one of these countries will see fit to do a Brit a favour some time in the future. Not much chance, though - would have been better to have done a proper swap deal.

Smidster · Challenger level

Any clues as to when, or even if, we will learn who the final 2 qualy WC's are going to?

In a similar vein what kind of time should we expect the draw?

steven · Tennis legend

The draw is at 6 pm

Salmon · Tennis legend

Vassallo Arguello gets the WC, ensuring that fans get to see some high quality tennis that Brits are obviously not capable of producing.