Entry deadline is 1st August, so it's action time if you haven't made the cut but want to get a direct entry. As usual, we assume that rankings of 50 for the boys and 55 for the girls will be good enough, but they are obviously strict approximations and it'll probably go down a lot for the girls (at least).
Major events till then (i.e. those which can have a seious impact on the ranking of a top 150 player) -
14th Junior Open der Stadt Wels (G1 on clay in Austria) from the 15th. South African Airways Junior ITF (G2 on hard in South Africa) from the 16th. Ex Pilsen Wilson Cup (G3 on clay in the Czech Republic) from the 16th. European Junior Championship (GB1 on clay in Austria) from the 21st. RVTA Junior ITF (G2 on hard in South Africa) from the 22nd.
Girls -
Confirmed direct entrants:
Laura Robson (5) Johanna Konta (12) Jade Curtis (26)
Those who have a good chance:
No one
Those who have an outside chance:
No one
Those who have a mathematical chance:
Heather Watson (125) - She is down for the G1 in Austria. She needs to win both the titles there and then pray for some withdrawals. Victoria Brook (163) - She is down for the two G2s in South Africa. She needs a clean sweep there and then some withdrawls to be assured. Hannah James (190) - Same as Vicky Brook. Lereesa Easterbrook (207) - She has been nominated for the Euro Champs. She needs both the titles there plus some withdrawals.
Boys -
Confirmed direct entrants:
Marcus Willis (23)
Those who have a good chance:
Daniel Smethurst (43) - Has entered nothing, but should make the cut. Daniel Evans (48) - Has entered nothing, so will heavily rely on withdrawals.
Those who have an outside chance:
Daniel Cox (60) - Has entered nothing, and needs to pray (i.e. pray that loads of people overtake him )
Neil Pauffley (70) - Has been nominated for the Euro Champs. Needs to reach the finals there, or reach the semis and win the doubles title.
Those who have a mathematical chance:
Ashley Watling (150) - Is due for the two G2s in South Africa. Needs a clean sweep plus many withdrawals.
N.B. 1) All calculations are approximations which depend on how other players perform. 2) People may always deviate from this schedule by playing qualies/ taking main draw WCs elsewhere.
Of all tyrannies a tyranny exercised for the good of its victim may be the most oppressive.... those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience
No. She wasn't aware of the extra tourneys that she can do with her top 20 ranking, when she gave her last interview. It's unlikely, but maybe my info is outdated and the ITF have changed the rules but haven't updated the site.
Hopefully she knows about it now! I see no reason as to why she shouldn't do it if she's allowed.
In case anyone is curious, here's the page on the ITF site that gives the info -
"We are taking Laura right out of circulation," said Aby Torduff, her agent from Octogon. "She is practising in Holland this week and will then play a couple of minor tournaments but we want to give her the chance to get on with both her life and her game.
Originally she was not set to go to anything major before the Australian juniors in January but it now looks as if she might go to the American Open at Flushing Meadow in September."
Laura Robson (5) Johanna Konta (12) Jade Curtis (28)
Those who have a good chance:
No one
Those who have an outside chance:
No one
Those who have a mathematical chance:
Lereesa Easterbrook (213) - She has been nominated for the Euro Champs. She needs both the titles there plus some withdrawals.
Boys -
Confirmed direct entrants:
Marcus Willis (25)
Those who have a good chance:
Daniel Smethurst (41) - Has entered nothing, but should make the cut. Daniel Evans (46) - Has entered nothing, so will heavily rely on withdrawals.
Those who have an outside chance:
Daniel Cox (64) - Has entered nothing, and needs to pray (i.e. pray that loads of people overtake him )
Neil Pauffley (77) - Has been nominated for the Euro Champs. Needs to reach the finals there, or reach the semis and win the doubles title.
Those who have a mathematical chance:
No one
N.B. 1) All calculations are approximations which depend on how other players perform. 2) People may always deviate from this schedule by playing qualies/ taking main draw WCs elsewhere.
All of them will surely make the cut, barring Cox who may or may not make it. Sadly there is a chance that he may. We can only hope that lessons have been learnt but whoever makes him/lets him play these is or at least was absolutely terrible at making schedules.
Unfortunately the LTA has decided on giving Coxy an all expenses paid holiday in New York city. I don't know what to say, but hopefully he'll have enough fire left when the screwing up is complete.
Maybe they'll at least try to get him into New Haven qualies to make the trip useful. But that would be a perfectly logical thing to do, so it's not going to happen.
Geez... Cox seriously needs to leave the set up as the LTA are clueless as they always were. If he doesn't get out soon, he'll go the same way as so many others have in the last decade. You just need to see the difference between what Evo was before and is now after (temporarily) leaving the set up...
Cox is such a highly ranked junior that he has to qualify for the event!
I don't think it's a great idea for him to be playing this, but if the LTA insist on him playing junior slams, then he may as well do well in one of them for once (which makes the decision even more puzzling, as it's not like he does well in them and looks like winning a junior slam)
He may as well try and win the title and get the qualies WC for next year, and the majority of the field as equal to the level of 10K futures players anyway (and quite a few of them will be better than that significantly by the end of their career), so it's a test of how he compares to his comtemporaries
I think he'll get a direct entry into USO qualies next year anyway. But that assumes that he'll be playing a sensible schedule not involving qualies in Turkey or anything weird like that, so it may not be correct.
I hope he loses first round (not purposely, of course) as tenniswise he'll gain nothing and there's no need to work for these petty PR hunters. They make him play these just because they want to boast about it to the media...
To even think that people like Berankis and Elias who are no better than him are playing Challenger qualies week in and out these days.
The USTA returned the LTA's kind favour of giving Vandeweghe a wild card... by giving us nothing. Smart guys run our body, na? Such secure hands our players are in - the best coaches, the best deals, best of everything.
I mean, sometimes I am harsh, but how do you justify simply giving away wild cards when there are ten Brits capable of winning a round?
Dan C needs three more withdrawals to get in (hope he won't).
Matthew Short needs eleven withdrawals to get into qualies.
Vicky Brook needs four withdrawals to get into qualies. Tara Moore needs five withdrawals to get into qualies.