Wimbledon Wildcards

Jan · Hall of fame

RE: Wimbledon Wildcards

Spectator · All-time great

Bob, thank you for posting. I'm really sorry to hear this, as I'd rather hoped it was a result of their choice rather than an LTA/AELTC choice to omit them. If the WCs are a reward for results, I don't understand the latter at all. If the decision had been only to go for pairings that had won at ATP level, it might make some sense. But to have favoured people with a far lesser track record over an established team that meets the ranking criterion, has had good results on grass and qualified last year ....?

I do hope they play in the qualies, that they get through, and that they do well. I am sure they will have many GB Tennis members willing them on!

-- Edited by Spectator on Saturday 16th of June 2012 07:46:22 PM

steven · Tennis legend

They will hopefully get into qualifying sothey have a chance of getting in through that. Hope they do!

Miriambee · Futures level

When do they actually announce who gets the WCs?

philwrig · Hall of fame

Watching David and Sean on court they have a real chemistry, and are just great mates as well, relaxed and enjoy playing whether they win or lose.
You'd have to think with a bit of input from Guru Coach Cayer they could easily become a DC team in the future.

steven · Tennis legend

Miriambee wrote:
When do they actually announce who gets the WCs?

I don't know - I thought they'd do it late yesterday but still no sign - or at least, not one that I have found yet. They have to do it this weekend because the men's qualifying draw is on Sunday evening, though I guess they might not tell us until the Q draw actually comes out.

bartman2099 · Lower Club Player

Hi guys, i sent the following tweet to the LTA:
@BritishTennis consider @Fitzmister for a wimbl QWC. Lost a heartbreaker in the playoffs but has made great strides in 2012 #dotherightthing

I know it probably won't help since the person handling the twitter account probably doesn't have anything to do with the process of awarding WCs but maybe if a few of us do it at least there will be some awareness that people think he's deserving.

RBBOT · Futures qualifying

I know it probably won't help since the person handling the twitter account probably doesn't have anything to do with the process of awarding WCs
Given they work for the LTA, and the LTA doesn't award them, that's a fairly good bet.

Fitzy · Intermediate Club Player

wc's given to corrie and bloomfield. thought you guys would want to know.

steven · Tennis legend

wolf wrote:
Doubles wild cards
Delgado/Skupski
Marray/Nielsen
Goodall/Ward
Broady/Golding
Hewitt/Gooch

Can I just check where you got this list from? Someone just asked me how I knew Dave & Sean weren't getting one of the remaining ones and I realised I'd only seen the full list here ... and I haven't yet seen lists of who got the remaining singles WCs anywhere.

Josh · Challenger level

Sean mentions it here https://twitter.com/seanthornley31/status/213705862676611072

christian · Intermediate Club Player

Gutted to hear you missed out Fitzy, totally undeserved on you but keep going mate and don't let them get you down.

On a general note especially regarding Rice/Thornley, does any other country do so little to help players who have worked their socks off with little help?

steven · Tennis legend

Josh wrote:
Sean mentions it here https://twitter.com/seanthornley31/status/213705862676611072

Ah, thanks - I don't follow Dustin so hadn't seen it.

Glad Bloomers got one of the remaining QWCs but gutted for Fitzy that he missed out - Ed was the other one on the obvious short-list of 3 (and as such, I certainly wouldn't begrudge him one), but it seemed pretty clear to us (see earlier in the thread) that if it came down to a toss-up between Ed & Fitzy for the last one, the ranking comparison should have given Fitzy the edge, with other things equal.

Taking up christian's point, re. both Rice/Thornley & Fitzy, the reason given for getting more stingy with Wimby WCs was that players were having it too easy, mollycoddled, all that stuff (much of it rubbish in the case of most players in the first place, no doubt) ... yet it seems the players getting shafted the most are the ones who've had the least support and done the most off their own bat. What kind of message does that send out? disbelief

Spectator · All-time great

The situation in the singles QWCs is unfortunate, but there's a case to be made either way. The situation in the doubles is more problematic. From what one hears, Golding is a real talent, with a distinct potential of "making it" But in 2012, he and Broady have played doubles together five times and won a total of one match (against not unusually distinguished opposition). By contrast, Rice and Thornley were in four finals, lost three of them primarily because it was their misfortune that Dom Inglot had been forced to play at a lower level, and last week beat Lipsky/Rajeev Ram. Both of them are within the top 200.

I'm aware that WCs for Golding/Broady in singles might make sense via the "younger players" exception ... and that their junior doubles' results (with other partners) have been good. But I don't see how they deserve an "exception" as a doubles team, at least not when that exception means they are knocking out a team that meets the merit criteria. Yes, they may pull it together and win ... but at the cost of any confidence in a "rules-based" system.

Rice/Thornley have a good chance of qualifying and thereby picking up both points and prize money, so in the end, they may be better off than they would have been with a MDWC. I hope that is the case.

-- Edited by Spectator on Sunday 17th of June 2012 04:32:59 AM

-- Edited by Spectator on Sunday 17th of June 2012 04:43:18 AM

jake270392 · Intermediate Club Player

steven wrote:
That was my second thought - hopefully not.

It must be, cant see how he would get in any other way or maybe a junior Brit upgraded into Main Draw?!

-- Edited by jake270392 on Sunday 17th of June 2012 05:13:40 PM

-- Edited by jake270392 on Sunday 17th of June 2012 05:14:09 PM