Week 12 - Challenger ($35,000+H) - Rimouski, Canada (Hard)

scottie1 · Futures level

RE: Week 12 - Challenger ($35,000+H) - Rimouski, Canada (Hard)

indiana · Tennis legend

...more specifically, the LTA are unlikely to put Boggo forward for a Wimbledon WC.

korriban · Challenger level

Indy is right on this one. The LTA would be very very unlikely to offer him a WC, even if he meets their own criteria because they know the press will bring up the 8 WCs, no wins story once again. Which is a point.

I do drool when I see his backhand operating at its best, and there's so much to be admired about his courtcraft. But I do wonder whether his fitness is where it would need to be to win in 4 or 5 sets anyway.

A WC into qualies is I suspect the best he could hope for, and I wouldnt bet against him if he continues to play somewhere close to his best.

stevemcqueen · Futures qualifying

I don't think there is any reason why he shouldn't have a crack at qualies. The british press doesn't pay much attention to Roehampton and the ones that do (like the spactators) are rather more connaisseur than the normal SW19 riffraff. I was very impressed by Alex when he lost 24-22 in the third against Mahut in 2011. Maybe Alex would benefit from thicker skin and more of a fk'em attitude. It is probably his best surface....

Anyway, good luck today mate!

RJA · Hall of fame

He should definitely play Wimbledon qualies. It pains me to see Boggo playing a futures level when he so obviously still capable of playing at a higher level. Besides, What's the point of carrying on playing into his late 20s only to avoid being on the big stage?

Count Zero · Tennis legend

Wimby is a funny one for Alex, due to all the history i don't think he plays his best tennis there very often, so may negative memories (also include the DC match vs Austria in that) for him. If his ranking is high enough i'd expect him to play there in the qualies, but i doubt he would get a WC of any form.

indiana · Tennis legend

Trouble is Boggo seems inherently a nice straightforward guy.

A nice guy who for a long time was British no 2 or 3 and treated appalllingly by many in authority to disguise their own failings and doing nothing to dissuage the notion that Boggo was pretty crap as against why doesn't British tennis have more highly ranked players ?

His Wimbledon record has been shown here before. Essentially as a WC he has lost to much higher ranked opponents. Quelle surprise.

I agree that he should play Wimbledon qualifying if the opportunity is there, for pretty much the reasons stevemcqueen gives.

Jaggy1876 · Grand Slam Champion

I say he tells Wimbledon to shove it where the sun don't shine. It's the most pompous elitist of the grand slams. One of the problems with British tennis in my opinion stems from Wimbledon and the All England club. Still I'm sure they will make a healthy profit. They should take note of the US Open and Australian Open both are superiority tournaments from top to bottom most of the players would agree.

korriban · Challenger level

Jaggy1876 wrote:
I say he tells Wimbledon to shove it where the sun don't shine. It's the most pompous elitist of the grand slams. One of the problems with British tennis in my opinion stems from Wimbledon and the All England club. Still I'm sure they will make a healthy profit. They should take note of the US Open and Australian Open both are superiority tournaments from top to bottom most of the players would agree.

First of all, Wimbledon receive proposals for British WCs from the LTA, which they usually simply follow up to a maximum limit, subject to the need to make WCs available for other overseas players who either would benefit the tournament or who get in due to reciprocal "arrangements" with the other GSs. It's the LTA that matters here, not Wimbledon.

Secondly, and having been lucky enough to attend a few times, Roland Garros certainly gives Wimbledon a run for its money on the pompous and elitist stakes - albeit with a lot more style and charm in my opinion. Having just had plans to extend the site rejected by the, frankly snobby and "not invented here" local council, there are moves afoot to move RG to Marne La Vallee (East of Paris, near Disneyland, very poor) - just wait for the elitist reaction when this happens! I can't comment on the other GSs - I suspect they all have their pluses and minuses.

Thirdly, Wimbledon's profits are part of the solution, not the problem for British tennis. The problems are probably more to done with the incestuous relationship between the tennis clubs, Wimbledon and the LTA - Wimbledon would make just as much money, possibly even more, if the better tickets were openly available to the public but they aren't.

Fourthly, Wimbledon tends to be praised by the players, and most of them tend to cite Wimbledon as the one to win. Many professionals don't even bother with th AO becuase of the distances involved, hence the new travel subsidies offered. And the USO has been widely criticised by many players over many years becuase of inept scheduling, the lack of roofs (in the middle of storm season) hence 5 Monday Men's Finals in a row, water leaking out onto one of the show courts, excessive noise, unruly crowds, etc.

Fifthly, telling Wimbledon to shove it, when grass is your best surface, and a GS could make or break your year in terms of finances, ranking points, and public recognition doesn;t seem like a great idea.

Not sure I agree with you on this one!!!

indiana · Tennis legend

Would they jaggy ? Has there been some survey ?

Not saying for a moment that there are not aspects of Wimbledo that I dislike, but just interested about the players perspective.

For instance, interesting schedules these two tournaments have had ( Super silly Staturday at the US Open and early morning finishes at the Aussie Open ).

Bob · Social player

korriban wrote:
Jaggy1876 wrote:
I say he tells Wimbledon to shove it where the sun don't shine. It's the most pompous elitist of the grand slams. One of the problems with British tennis in my opinion stems from Wimbledon and the All England club. Still I'm sure they will make a healthy profit. They should take note of the US Open and Australian Open both are superiority tournaments from top to bottom most of the players would agree.
First of all, Wimbledon receive proposals for British WCs from the LTA, which they usually simply follow up to a maximum limit, subject to the need to make WCs available for other overseas players who either would benefit the tournament or who get in due to reciprocal "arrangements" with the other GSs. It's the LTA that matters here, not Wimbledon.

Last year the All Endland Lawn Tennis Club chose to ignore a Wild Card proposal from the LTA. Whilst the LTA do make recomendations, the AELTC dont always follow this or the top 250 guide.

Boggo should do his own thing and compete in Wimbledon quals if his ranking is high enough. The LTA decide on the quals Wild Cards and I dont believe they will offer one to Boggo.

Scratchy · Club Coach

Well I can't help but be very disappointed. RDV leads 4-1 in the second.

-- Edited by Scratchy on Friday 22nd of March 2013 11:42:20 PM

scottie1 · Futures level

last year Dan Cox got a wild card and he was not even in the top 250 so if Bogdanovic gets back into top 250 he should get one! I take the point he might not want to take up the offer if awarded but it is not even handed if he is denied it when a player outside top 250 is awarded one!

Jaggy1876 · Grand Slam Champion

Korriban I take all your points on board and it's all about opinions nobody is right or wrong. I've been to Wimbledon twice 2006 being the most recent, the first time I was a teenager watching the toffy crowd supporting Boris Becker a German against a Brit (Scot) who nearly beat him Miles Maclagan think he was 2 points from victory. I've been to US open in 2008 and saw Murray beat Nadal and the Australian open in 2009 and 2010 when I lived there. Not been to the French but then I'm not a fan of clay. Melbourne and New York the whole package for me is better than Wimbledon which lives on its reputation. Nobody in Australia complains about the late games and I don't remember any ranked player in the top 100 pulling out for travel reasons.

Regarding Boggo I have a feeling he won't bother even playing grass here this summer and concentrate on the US open. Good luck to him.

KK · Club Coach

Whenever I have been to Wimbledon the crowds have always been supporting the Brits. I can remember seeing Georgie Stoop doing well on an ourside court with crowds 8 deep trying to get a glimpse.

Indeed this is a good argument for having more Brit wild cards as those are the players, apart from the big names, the crowds want to see. They aren't interested in some foreigner ranked in the 60s.