Boggo will make the main draw. He is GB No2. Please do not forget this fact. His results are the best over last 12 months

wolf wrote:

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mjd wrote:

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This is the further LTA reply received from Paul Hutchins:-
(I might not agree with the way they operate but I am impressed with their communications.)

We are, in co-operation with Wimbledon, running a 16 player pre qualifying for 2 wild card places into Wimbledon qualifying which seems to work well with also the top 8 players on the ranking lists getting either a direct wild card into the main draw if under 250 on the rankings or into qualifying.

Often different opinions on play offs and equally strong opinions if we give too many players with low rankings wild cards without having to work that hard for the spot. We are also totally dependent on the All England Club committee views as well as they hold the final decision on all wild cards.

The cut for the main draw is around 100 and we/All England Club are offering places in main draw if under 250 and in Wimbledon qualifying to players of 500 and below and for pre qualifying 1000 and below and some with no world ranking. We always review the system and take opinions into consideration but this is the 2009 system which will operate.

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So basically as it stands Boggo and Goodall will be in the main draw with Ward, Evans, Bloomfield, Slabinsky, Eaton and Marray in qualifying, plus two from the play-offs.

While this seems like a fair enough system on the outside it still gives no thought to age. Daniel Evans is the highest ranked 18 year old in the WORLD how this is not deserving of a wild card is beyond me.

 

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It's an interesting argument. It's also a very good point though. Dan's results recently have been pretty damn impressive but it all depends on whether he's still persona non grata at the LTA for whatever reason or whether they've forgiven and forgotten given his results and improvement since that fateful suspension.

We just don't know how their minds work.

Seriously, we really don't!

The following is a list of players who are not going to make the cut (as the list should be out this week) but are the kind of players who could justify a WC.

Juan Carlos Ferrero
Kei Nishikori
Nicolas Mahut
Taylor Dent
Joachim Johansson
Sebastien Grosjean

Of these, they all could make a case for a WC having dropped out of the top 100 due to injury, and if someone like Ferrero asked for a WC, there's no way that he'd be turned down.

In fact, I think Mahut is the only one of these who maybe wouldn't get a WC if asked, but given that he didn't get one the year when he had the great run at Queens and perhaps still is a name that people may remember, he may get one.

It's not looking good for the Brits who may need a WC here given the amount of big names who may want a WC - for the likes of Boggo, Goodall, Ward etc, the last thing they could have done with is Ferrero dropping out of the top 100 again this week.

EDIT: This doesn't include the likes of Tomic and Dimitrov who are connected enough to get a WC.

Actually, Dimitrov will get a WC if they continue the policy of giving a main draw WC to the boys champion as they have done for the last several years.



-- Edited by ForeverDelayed on Wednesday 13th of May 2009 03:06:59 PM

Interesting article on The Times website yesterday.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/tennis/article6307989.ece

"Now it is up to the LTA to keep up their side of the bargain and nominate Ward to the All England Club for possible wild card selection. And though he is outside their 250 cut off, the LTA will use the technicality of 'exceptional talent' to ask the club to consider Dan Evans who has become a blue-eyed boy, despite having been denied four months of funding when he was seen at a party in Wimbledon village during last year's championships."


Looks like Ward and Evo will get wildcards then.

Drew wrote:

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If Eaton does well over the next week or so would they consider him ?

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 your guess is as good as mine

chris should not want to be making a career off the back of one really good result. he has little else to show merit for reaching the main draw.

he should play qualies, and if he's good enough he will come through. I can see the argument for letting him play as he has points to defend, and he probably has more chance than msot of the others to win a round on grass, but when the points come off where is he gonna be ranked? Thats a truer reflection of where he is at just now. He's not a top 300 player, hoepfully soon he will be, and he will be based on consistent and strong showings, not one event.

He has been disappointing for 10 months, and hasn't used the opportunity winning a round last year gave him to really push on and up the rankings.

Its kinda like how barry cowan has made a career off taking sampras to 5 sets....