Wild Cards and Play Offs

gazzpash · Club Coach

RE: Wild Cards and Play Offs

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

seagull wrote:
Andrew Castle - There is a Wild card play-off happening at Roehampton at moment. 16 draw for just one place.

John Lloyd - Are they actually playing on grass though, if not it's pointless

Andrew Castle - Whoevers gets through will have the biggest payday of their career, £21k for a first round lose.

Arrgghh - these people are clueless

I seriously dislike these two. Not personally (they're pleasant enough) but they are TRULY clueless.

John Lloyd was once described as one of the most talented but laziest GB players. Andrew Castle was neither that talented nor hard-working.

This work ethic seems to have been applied to the job as commentators too - they don't do their basic homework, are out of date and out of touch with a lot of new tennis news. Their claim to fame is that they follow a little tennis gossip and look quite friendly and have a reasonable gift of the gab. Useless.

steven · Tennis legend

R1: (2) Joshua Milton WR 369 beat (WC) Liam Broady WR 872 by 0 & 4

So Josh will play Marcus tomorrow

RJA · Hall of fame

gazzpash wrote:
wolf wrote:
Castle and Lloyd (commentating on Mahut v Murray) think the play-off is for one place in the main draw.
I caught the last bit of it where they were talking bout Klien. What brought them to talk about it and what did they say?
On the subject of Klien, why are so many people anti him getting a wildcard? Surely we should be backing our new Brit and it would of been a guaranteed Brit in the draw to follow

1. I don't consider him British

2. He has long history of being abusive towards both opponents and officials.

Count Zero · Tennis legend

could you imagine what it must have been like have Lloyd on court during DC matches!

RJA · Hall of fame

Coup Droit wrote:
John Lloyd was once described as one of the most talented but laziest GB players.

Don't forget his awful reign as Davis Cup captain.

RJA · Hall of fame

Count Zero wrote:
could you imagine what it must have been like have Lloyd on court during DC matches!

Just look at the pictures of both Evans and Goodall when they played their matches under him. They looked like they were carrying the world on their shoulders and he was seemingly adding to the pressure on them rather than relieving it. Compare and contrast with how Leon Smith has built a real team spirit around the Davis Cup squad and how the guys seem to love playing Davis Cup.

seagull · Hall of fame

HA - Well done Fitzy!!

denver23 · Social player

''I totally understand the arguments against wildcards. I think it's a valid view, it's just not one I share. What I struggle with is why it only ever appears in relation to Brits at Wimbledon (I don't hear anyone complaining about Petkovic's wildcard, only the ones given to the Brits). I don't think I have ever seen football fans moan about their team getting a host nation spot at the World Cup/Euros, or anyone moaning about Brits at the Olympics getting home nation spots in a number of events they wouldn't have otherwised qualified for.''
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Paul - I am one of those who are totally against wildcards but only at grand slam events or, if we really have to have them, then they should be reduced to say 2 - 3/4 max. However, I totally respect your view and at least you understand the arguments against wildcards because I think some people are so bias they just can't or are reluctant to. I would not even give one to Dan Evans - nothing personal - I just think he should have been playing a lot better a lot sooner and in a sport that promotes a meritocratic system why should there be a need for as many as 8 wildcards. Kudos to Evans if he is prepared to slug it in qualifying, and if that where he does end up then he will have my respect irrespective of whether he gets through - shame about the others who seem so happy to take a main draw wildcard but should they lose in the first round then they desrve all the stick they get. They can't have it both ways.

Petkovic - I suppose in her case she was a former top 10 player an achievement way above anything that Konta, Murray, keothavong, Moore, Baltacha has achieved or will ever achieve

Interesting you mention the World Cup/Euros because I have been thinking about that recently. I think in those cases the host country may have forked out so much money to stage the event (new stadia? etc) that the only way to recoup that is to have the host nation playing and generate home interest, which I know is one of the arguments for wildcards, but at least the host nation can only put out 1 team and is usuually one of the conditions they choose to stage it. They can not suddenly drag their U18 OR U21 team into it even if they have won their respective championships for their age. Each country has to qualify other than that - apart from the defending champions - no exceptions so if Brazil fail to qualify for a World Cup being held in Germany then that is it - none of this 'well they played so well in a tournament a year ago or when the last World Cup was held' - they did not perform well enough when required over the qualifying stages/period required - end of.

All these Brits who have got main draw wildcards should be made to qualify and earn the right to to be there imo.

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

seagull wrote:
HA - Well done Fitzy!!

Am I missing something ? confuse

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Bob in Spain wrote:
seagull wrote:
HA - Well done Fitzy!!
Am I missing something ?

Me too . . .

indiana · Tennis legend

Fitzy tweeted Andrew Castle that playoffs are for a place in the QUALIFYING draw.

Castle "corrected" things on air, still saying ONE place.

OK, maybe slightly misled by Fitzy, but they really are clueless !

RJA · Hall of fame

God I a so glad that I am watching this tournament on Eurosport.

gazzpash · Club Coach

RJA wrote:
gazzpash wrote:
wolf wrote:
Castle and Lloyd (commentating on Mahut v Murray) think the play-off is for one place in the main draw.
I caught the last bit of it where they were talking bout Klien. What brought them to talk about it and what did they say?
On the subject of Klien, why are so many people anti him getting a wildcard? Surely we should be backing our new Brit and it would of been a guaranteed Brit in the draw to follow
1. I don't consider him British
2. He has long history of being abusive towards both opponents and officials.

So you didn't like Greg Rudeski? And what about Laura Robeson and Johanna Konta? I know they are only your first argument. And am I not wrong but isn't there just the one incident? Doesn't someone deserve a second chance or are you being old fashioned and stuffy like so many tennis fans?

RJA · Hall of fame

gazzpash wrote:
RJA wrote:
gazzpash wrote:
wolf wrote:
Castle and Lloyd (commentating on Mahut v Murray) think the play-off is for one place in the main draw.
I caught the last bit of it where they were talking bout Klien. What brought them to talk about it and what did they say?
On the subject of Klien, why are so many people anti him getting a wildcard? Surely we should be backing our new Brit and it would of been a guaranteed Brit in the draw to follow
1. I don't consider him British
2. He has long history of being abusive towards both opponents and officials.
So you didn't like Greg Rudeski? And what about Laura Robeson and Johanna Konta? I know they are only your first argument. And am I not wrong but isn't there just the one incident? Doesn't someone deserve a second chance or are you being old fashioned and stuffy like so many tennis fans?

Rusedski had to win me over through years of commitment to British tennis. Robson has learnt her game here.

And you are wrong, it wasn't just one incident. He has a long history of abusing opponents and officials on court. Earlier this year he called Kyrgios a Gorilla.