Week 18 - ITF $50K - Fukukoa, Japan Grass

A131 · Intermediate Club Player

RE: Week 18 - ITF $50K - Fukukoa, Japan Grass

wimdledont · Challenger level

The official rankings are based on 12 months' results. So every week of the year, players are based on performances from 12 months' previous.

Pick me a player who came through qualies who might have beaten Wosniacki the day after...

www.wtatennis.com/SEWTATour-Archive/Archive/Draws/2014/904.pdf

Last year, Naomi was among the best 25 players in the world, based on singles ranking points accumulated on grass.

If she doesn't make the LTA's criteria, or your's and Indy's, she should probably be offered one by the AELTC anyway...

www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/about_aeltc/201205091336567562393.html

"Wild cards are usually offered on the basis of past performance at Wimbledon or to increase British interest."

Two ticks.

People should take mixed more seriously. Naomi last year came within 3 matches of spending one weekend as the biggest sporting star in Britain, with colossal implications for her level of public recognition, slebdom and future prospects. An Olympics silver is all that Laura has ever won as a senior pro.

Oakland2002 · All-time great

Some good points well made, the vast majority of casual sports fans, which includes almost all uk tennis fans have no enthusiasm or knowledge of any player outside the world top 10 realistically they would recognise the top 4 and Venus. They do follow Wimbledon and UK players who do well they will remember Naomi's performances from last year.

A wildcard is more than justified in terms of its returns ie people will tune in to see her play even in the first round and will follow and enjoy a run in mixed doubles should it happen. Mixed doubles is much maligned but is probably the only form of sport where men and women compete together as a team in a format that produces competition. At all levels and age groups it allows strong female players to test themselves in competition, seeing a British woman do well in this format can be very relevant and motivating to youngsters. Wimbledon is the annual UK tennis festival and an opportunity to showcase our best players on this surface in the different forms regularly played at GS level, financially the wildcards pay off and development of UK tennis goes beyond that of developing players alone.

wimdledont · Challenger level

Another thought on wildcards...

EWS is now the UK 4th ranked doubles player, and can reasonably hope for a Wimbledon doubles WC; but has no hope of a WC to RG...

Julie Coin, Em's partner in the 100k victory, is the French 4th ranked doubles player, can reasonably hope for a RG doubles WC; but has no hope of a doubles WC at Wimbledon...

No hope, that is, unless they teamed up again for both upcoming Slams; in which case each would double their advantage.

philwrig · Hall of fame

WCs are used by every tennis tournament all year round, so I say embrace them, and use them to our advantage when they are awarded in this country.

Jaggy1876 · Grand Slam Champion

I would say Em is justified in a Doubles WC as are Anna and Joss. Wild Card for Joko but only just and frankly because there is nobody else and it would be embarrassing to have only one woman. Qualifying Wild Cards for the rest. The way Naomi is going at the moment she's on course to be outside the qualifying spots and need a Wild Card or that too.

indiana · Tennis legend

wimbledont, Naomi wouldn't meet my criteria for a Wimbledon MD WC, because I simply wouldn't have Slam MD WCs.

It is to me not about how well Naomi or any other Brit has done vis a vis each other, it is about rankings in world terms.

I quire acknowledge that as long as the other Slams also have MD WCs, largely given to home players even when far outside the top 100, so will Wimbledon. And as I said I can well see Naomi getting a MD WC. So this remains largely a theoretical argument by A131 and myself that the four elite Slam events should not have MD WCs, ruddy good argument I continue to think though

Phil, the fact that MD WCs ( as well as Q WCs which I have no big issues with in Slams ) are part of the year round fabric of tennis for such reasons as progressing promising players more quickly and / or generating local interest does not for me mean they need be part of the elite Slams. The promising players can take their chances in qualifying. I do see more of a point re local interest, but Wimbledon hardly needs more attendees and while yes I admit that I too like watching Brits, the elite Slams being for the best wins out with me.

paulisi · Tennis legend

Em started well and 3-1 up first set.

paulisi · Tennis legend

Em lost 4 games on the bounce and first set gone 6-4

PaulM · Tennis legend

Lost 64 62

Fell away after a good start and struggled on serve. Difficult draw.

Tough week for the Brits.

DF · Tennis legend

Naomi and partner take their first set 6-2

DF · Tennis legend

Naomi + win 6-2 3-6 13-11

PaulM · Tennis legend

Naomi and Kris saved several match points in the MTB

Peter too · Tennis legend

Summary:-

R1: WEBLEY-SMITH, Emily (GBR) 307 lost to BYCHKOVA, Ekaterina (RUS) 6 200 4-6 2-6
R1: DUNNE, Katy (GBR) 279 lost to EGUCHI, Misa (JPN) 3 148 6-3 3-6 0-6
R1: BROADY, Naomi (GBR) 7 186 lost to IMANISHI, Miharu (JPN) 214 1-6 4-6

A131 · Intermediate Club Player

Oakland2002 wrote:
Some good points well made, the vast majority of casual sports fans, which includes almost all uk tennis fans have no enthusiasm or knowledge of any player outside the world top 10 realistically they would recognise the top 4 and Venus. They do follow Wimbledon and UK players who do well they will remember Naomi's performances from last year.

A wildcard is more than justified in terms of its returns ie people will tune in to see her play even in the first round and will follow and enjoy a run in mixed doubles should it happen. Mixed doubles is much maligned but is probably the only form of sport where men and women compete together as a team in a format that produces competition. At all levels and age groups it allows strong female players to test themselves in competition, seeing a British woman do well in this format can be very relevant and motivating to youngsters. Wimbledon is the annual UK tennis festival and an opportunity to showcase our best players on this surface in the different forms regularly played at GS level, financially the wildcards pay off and development of UK tennis goes beyond that of developing players alone.

I'm far from convinced that the casual sports fans I know or those that follow the sport for just two weeks of the year and completely ignore for the other 50 (including Davis Cup and the three other grand slams) would be able to tell you who was the only British WC to reach Round 2 in 2014 - infact I know they wouldn't! Not without looking it up anyway. Admittedly, I didn't even know the NB had reach the QF of the mixed as I didn't take much notice of it - and maybe that is a failing on my part - but I don't remember it being televised much. But I have certainly not met anybody down at my club (adult or junior) or anywhere else for that matter that has been inspired or motivated by somebody reaching the QF's of an event that seemingly very few people care about (even at Wimbledon) and maybe that's a shame and I'm sure there is a bit of a skill involved - but I still don't think it justifies a WC to a main draw singles event but as Indy has already stated, we just wouldn't have GS MD WCs. It is one of the elite and biggest events in all of sport - not just tennis - and I really doubt it would lose out that much, even financially, if not as many Brits were there.