Wimbledon wild cards 2011

steven · Tennis legend

Wimbledon wild cards 2011

seagull · Hall of fame

Baker was also in the main draw last year

steven · Tennis legend

Oops, yes, the story was no English men in the main draw wasn't it.

seagull · Hall of fame

Yep - Be nice to see a few more wild cards given out.

Guid007 · Strong Club Player

If they're considering Golding, then surely they have to look at Broady as well. Obviously his family's not on great terms with the LTA, but he has had a pretty impressive rise up the rankings in the past year, especially considering he's only 17.

The Knight · Challenger qualifying

im big fans of both but i wouldn't give them one...qualifying WCs i would give though, ahead of some of the other potential guys

DavidC · Tennis legend

The AELTC will I think be forced to give at least one to someone outside the top 250 for logistical reasons. There are 9 QWCs, 2 reserved for the play-offs and one for Marton Fucsovics (junior Wimby winner - currently ranked 785, so very unlikely to be considered for a MDWC). That leaves 6 QWCs and under the terms of the agreement with the LTA 8 are promised to specified Brits, so 2 will have to be for the main draw.

wolf · Tennis legend

They should give Conor Niland a wild card.

murray_2k9 · Challenger qualifying

Im sure the Irish would be throwing WCs at Englishmen if the Belfast Open was a slam. Oh wait....no, definitely not.

The Knight · Challenger qualifying

wolf wrote:
They should give Conor Niland a wild card.

Ranked in top 250, would get support from the crowd, but the LTA don't get blamed if he loses because he's still not a British player...what's not to like?

Plus i'm fed up of those stupid wildcards given to "Pablo Next-Direct-Entry-Claycourt-muppet" that we've seen the past few years

Shhh · Challenger level

The Knight wrote:
wolf wrote:
They should give Conor Niland a wild card.
Ranked in top 250, would get support from the crowd, but the LTA don't get blamed if he loses because he's still not a British player...what's not to like?
Plus i'm fed up of those stupid wildcards given to "Pablo Next-Direct-Entry-Claycourt-muppet" that we've seen the past few years

I agree totally, there must be better ways of distributing such a valuable item.

One silly idea that I think could work is to have a fans choice. The LTA shortlist a few on their website and fans vote for who they want to see. I am sure the winner would feel good about themselves being voted for, the LTA get there website used, us humble fans may actually make a semi sensible call on the subject and......should they lose the LTA can rightly point to it being the fans choice that put them there.

Or they could could simply just give it away to the next unknown (to the British audience) South Anerican on the list.

LordBrownof · Futures level

Don't they have a play-off in America? With the proximity of tournaments it's probably not that feasible, but could we not look at one of the proceeding grass court opportunities and incorporate the idea. Something like, the person who performs the best at Nottingham wins the final Brit wildcard based on the judgements of a couple of LTA coaches?

Miriambee · Futures level

Isn't that far too sensible, logical, obvious...... (put in own word!)?

Shhh · Challenger level

A play off would be excellent. I think the LTA feel though, if a Brit won through a few rounds to come out top of the heap, and promptly got thrashed in the 1st round, it makes British tennis look even worse.

Count Zero · Tennis legend

the problem with basing decisions purely on Notts results is that it may not take the draw into account, although certainly i think they should take general performance of the players at Nottingham into account, but what i;m suggesting is a brit who reaches the 2nd rdounf by beating another brit should be more favoulrbaly looked upon than another brit who, say, loses to the top seed in a 3rd set TB in the opening round etc. They should probably look at the 'Race' thing TMS has been making, but again even if a player has picked up a lot of points but it still well short of the 250 mark then i think a QWC is the most he should get.

They did used to do a play off for the WC's, i'm sure one of Boggo's numerous WC's was through winning a play off. But i think that play off has been down graded to the QWC play off.

For me comes back to the fact that some much of our tennis is shoehorned into a 3 week season (excluding Wimby). in that time frame we have 2 challengers, 2 ATPS, and Slam qualies, and then throw trying to fit in WC play offs etc. We have no other ATP's that could help make up for the sacrifices players make at this time of year. The US for instance has 12 ATP level events so even when events overlap they still have other chances to give promising players WC's etc.

Also whilst there's no chance that Boggo will get a MDWC do you think the LTA will give him a QWC?