Aljaz Bedene

EddietheEagle · County player

RE: Aljaz Bedene

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

I just dont think it would be right if he played Davis Cup for our country, said Dan Evans, who played a major role in catapulting Great Britain back into the World Group in 2013. And I am a better player than him, too.

www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/11354300/Aljaz-Bedene-looks-forward-to-Novak-Djokovic-test-as-he-awaits-confirmation-of-British-citizenship.html

Apologies if this Telegraph article from yesterday has already been posted but I don't remember it, and specially don't remember seeing the quote above, which is 'well good' :)

indiana · Tennis legend

I really hope that Evo can get back to full fitness and his best form and that his tennis will again do more of his talking.

I did smile that James Ward "intelligently declined to comment".

BeefyDeedz · Pro player

'So exactly how British is Bedene? Given that he supports Real Madrid, prefers Chinese food, and still talks with a strong Mitteleuropean accent, the answer must be not particularly. But he is also a hard worker and a modest character who will make a strong contribution to the sport in this country.'

What a Telegraph-ic fail. Almost as poor as Evan's comments. Is he a better player? I have to say, with no hard feelings to him, that the answer currently stands at no. As does the past answer, and if Evans can't regroup some of his Zagreb points, the answer will continue to be such.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Beden was top seed but unfortunately got dumped out of qualies in Zagreb, in two sets . . . :(

BeefyDeedz · Pro player

Yes, very unfortunate. Hopefully he won't be too disheartened after an excellent start to the season - his tweet sounds like he may well be avoiding Zagreb for the immediate future!

RJA · Hall of fame

EddietheEagle wrote:
With regard to Bedene's eligibility to potentially represent GB, if he's been resident here for some time and has established roots, I would have throught he had a case to make against any arbitrary ITF rule. I'm not sure how he'd go about it though. An appeal to the CAS perhaps? But would that not become an unwanted distraction at this point of his career, particularly as he does not yet stand out as an obvious, clear cut, Davis Cup choice?

I would certainly hope that the CAS would uphold the ITF's right to impose such a rule since the it strikes me as perfectly reasonable and not in anyway arbitrary.

indiana · Tennis legend

Yes, I haven't really studied wordings etc.

But the ITF are perfectly entitled to make rules re representing a nation's tennis team. As I understand it, the issue is having reprsented another country ( and apparently an issue of when papers were filed ). As long as the rules are unambiguous re what 'representing' entails and such as timeframes are clear, while we may or may not like the rule, I am not sure of any basis to appeal to CAS.

It is not a question of roots, residency, which are rather to do with citizenship, but eligibility to represent GB at tennis.

Vandenburg · Futures level

Anyone got any insider home office news about his passport/official switch? This guy really is UKIPs worst nightmare.

KK · Club Coach

Vandenburg wrote:
Anyone got any insider home office news about his passport/official switch? This guy really is UKIPs worst nightmare.

UKIP would welcome him if he could be of use here and not allow him in if he couldn't. So if he can't represent GB it is difficult to see how he could serve the country. Perhaps he could later as a coach.

BeefyDeedz · Pro player

Russell Fuller is reporting that Bedene's passport application has been successful. He will soon 'be free to compete under the British flag'.

indiana · Tennis legend

The more I heard ( after I omitted him from my GB predictions ! ) that bit always looked fairly likely.

He certainly seems fairly domiciled here.

I presume he' will contunue to try and make his case re the Davis Cup to the ITF.

philwrig · Hall of fame

It will be interesting to see how much love comes his way now that the switch is official. I suspect there'll be a lot more than what Mr Klein has received but somewhat less than the home grown players.

Mervatron · Masters Series Champion

I'll give him my full backing. He's made the decision to switch and has now done it. I don't support Johanna any less as she wasn't born here.

philwrig · Hall of fame

I think Jo's a little different as she started the switch process before the end of her junior career, whereas Bedene is much older.