Wild Cards

indiana · Tennis legend

Wild Cards

A131 · Intermediate Club Player

I must own up and say I had already seen that article some time ago but thanks again to wimdledont for finding the link.

The author I think comes up with some good ideas (more acceptable certainly) particularly relating to the Wimbledon/Nottingham Challenger Link and Roland Garros/Bordeaux link in that the opportunity is there for all nations rather than the home nation bias. I just wander whether it would even be possible for the ITF/Grand Slam Board to get together and sit round a table and agree to restricting the number of mdwc's at all grand slam singles events to say 4 (absolute max) because I still think 8 is a ridiculous amount and 4 would still allow tournament directors some discretion even though ideally I would still prefer that players get in on the strength of their ranking or come through qualifying.
Personally, I would still not give junior winners a MDWC into the senior event (I know you would wimdledont and that's fair enough) - a qwc certainly so they can still prove themselves - but not a main draw mainly because:-

a) it is still unfair on those players who have had to win matches and work hard to climb the rankings in the intervening 12 months and possibly get themselves in a position to play in their first ever grand slam event and get the opportunity to earn much coveted grand slam prize money, ranking points etc and yet lose out to someone yet to prove themselves at senior level or ranked way below them. Effectively, you are saying to that junior, you don't have to win a single match between now and next year - you will still play in the main draw. And
b) as most of us will appreciate there is a big difference between playing more experienced, fitter and stronger seniors than juniors so to balance that out I would give the winning juniors the chance to qualify rather than just parachuted into the main draw.

I appreciate that the world does seem to be split in awarding MDWC to juniors at grand slam events (the majority maybe just in favour) but that is just my view.

PaulM · Tennis legend

Wimbledon has historically given widlcards to winners of the lead-in challengers, certainly in the past few years.

RJA · Hall of fame

PaulM wrote:
Wimbledon has historically given widlcards to winners of the lead-in challengers, certainly in the past few years.

Which is probably a good way of doing it. Given the tragic lack of grass court tennis players who specialise on the surface are at distinct disadvantage to those who specialise on hard and clay. Rewarding some of those players who have recently played well on the surface seems to me a relatively fair way of doing things.

Shhh · Challenger level

RJA wrote:
Rewarding some of those players who have recently played well on the surface seems to me a relatively fair way of doing things.

I accept that there are pro's and cons with this argument but I would like to see some sort of play offs for main draw wild cards for many grass events for brits.......the challengers, Queens/Notts and Wimbledon itself. Not all of them, but one at each could be played off in my opinion.

Spectator · All-time great

I am hoping that Nicolas Mahut will get a wild card. He just missed the cut, would get in on current ranking, has a good grass court record (though not necessarily at Wimbledon) ... and has just beaten Lleyton Hewitt, who will almost certainly get one as he does his farewell tour. (Rather ironic, that victory, given that Hewitt was in at s'Hertogenbosch because of a wild card - while Mahut, who won the event in 2013, was forced to go through qualifying). And he has a plaque with his name on it at the place ....

RJA · Hall of fame

Spectator wrote:
I am hoping that Nicolas Mahut will get a wild card. He just missed the cut, would get in on current ranking, has a good grass court record (though not necessarily at Wimbledon) ... and has just beaten Lleyton Hewitt, who will almost certainly get one as he does his farewell tour. (Rather ironic, that victory, given that Hewitt was in at s'Hertogenbosch because of a wild card - while Mahut, who won the event in 2013, was forced to go through qualifying). And he has a plaque with his name on it at the place ....

I think Mahut stands a good chance.

Hewitt will obviously get one and at the moment there are probably 2 in reserve for the winners of Surbiton and Ilkley (Groth won Manchester and won't need a wild card).

I can't imagine more than 5 Brits getting wild cards. Presumably James, Kyle and Liam are certain while Ed and Brydan look possible, the latter depending on whether the LTA treat him the same as any other Brit.

Therefore Mahut's chances will depend on whether Ed and Brydan both get wild cards and who the winners of Surbiton and Ilkely are.

Oakland2002 · All-time great

I would like to see all five players you mention in the Wimbledon MD as wild cards, indeed for me, having been sucked in by the British tennis.net virus, I really only wanted to follow one player and dare I say it not really interested in the ladies game, I now find myself fascinated by the whole lot.

Not meaning to point out the obvious but if Wimbledon widcards get cut along with the bonus scheme culling the lesser lights there won't be much on Britishtennis.net to follow. There are definitely enough slots available on merit to make Wimbledon an almost meritocracy, The wild cards add value and I for one am going in the first week for the first time for two decades to see wild cards play. ( I have to fess up to going to the Olympics... Where I was lucky enough to see Brits!)

TheTraveller2 · Lower Club Player

When do the Wimbledon Wildcards get announced?

PaulM · Tennis legend

Usually the Tuesday of Birmingham, meetings are soon though.

TheTraveller2 · Lower Club Player

Thanks

paulisi · Tennis legend

If I'm correct in saying GB get 9 wildcards of which 2 from playoffs get QWC's the I suspect the following:

Main draw(men)
Kyle
James
Liam
Brydan

Qualifying Direct
Corrie

Qualifying
Cox
Milton
ANOTHER(Willis, Smethurst, Rice, Evans, Salisbury, Bambridge)
2 x playoff

Main draw(women)
Robson
Konta
Broady

Qualifying
Dunne
Dart
Swan
ANOTHER(Cavaday, Webley-Smith, Moore, Carreras)
2x playoff

-- Edited by paulisi on Thursday 11th of June 2015 07:10:34 PM

-- Edited by paulisi on Friday 12th of June 2015 11:01:03 AM

indiana · Tennis legend

I thought that it was 8 + 2 play-off plus often latterly one or two more.

I'll leave others to predict or give their preferences re the MD WCs, but re the total MD and Q :

Men : I agree paulisi's 7 pick themselves, which would be it initially if just 7. If an 8th, probably Marcus.

Women : If Laura is fit and Katie S wants it, paulisi's 6 would be 6 of 8 that I believe stand out from the rest. Personally I'd have to add Amanda and Emily, in running level on 134 ranking points as GB 4/5 and around the WR 300 mark.

If 8, these for me are the 8, although a fit Katie B would add a problem. If 7, I'd have the problem in who to leave out.

Cav and Tara are to me next in line, but clearly behind.

indiana · Tennis legend

PS : Ah, got you regarding the men, paulisi. Dozily I thought you'ed miscounted your 7, but of course you have Ed direct into qualifying.

The Optimist · ATP qualifying

Given she came through the play-off and won a round last year, what odds on Gabi Taylor getting a QWC?