Helen40 wrote:

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Jan wrote:

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You can sign up for nothing and read 2 free articles per week. It works for me. Just have to be a bit picky!

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 I can't see that option, have you a link please.

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 Sorry I'm not sure where I found it - I did it ages ago. Maybe it isn't available any more - though I still get the access to 2/week.

Jan wrote:

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You can sign up for nothing and read 2 free articles per week. It works for me. Just have to be a bit picky!

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And with Wimbledon looming, we're spoilt for choice today:  the Jay article, Johnny Mac tipping Kyle for major success, Johanna inadvertently missing a drug test, the odious Kyrgios claiming that he's "not as professional as Rafa and Roger" & Pat Cash asking where the next Boris Becker is (Shapo's name & that of the currently injured Chung Hyeon mentioned as possibilities)!  Interesting aside in the Cash column (for me, at any rate):

One reason for the continued domination of Federer, Nadal and, until last year, Djokovic was, I believe, connected to the fact that in 2001 the decision was made to extend the list of seeds from 16 to 32. It was made partly in response to complaints from Spanish and South American clay-court specialists, who felt they deserved more draw protection on what they perceived to be the unfair, fast grass surface at Wimbledon. Their complaints had two results. One, the glorious game of serve and volley was effectively killed off because things were done to the grass to make it slower, and attacking the net became a strategy for disaster unless you had special athleticism and hand skills. Racket and string technology also had something to do with the transition.

I think the big clay courters' complaints was the way Wimbledon used to subjectively adjust the rankings list for their 16 seedings and some top 16 ranked essentially best on clay players could drop out of the seedings, having they felt earned a seeding.

I may be wrong but my memory is it was then the same year that Wimbledon introduced their objective grass court adjustment formula for the men that they also increased to 32 seeds ( as did the other Slams ) with the protection that if you were in the top 32 participanting ranks you were guaranteed a seeding.

Now of course going back to 16 seeds next year, if they are going to retain the seeding protection ( then for the top 16 ) will limit Wimbledon to using the grass formula on many fewer players, in that they won't be able to bump a player beyond the top 16 into the top ( then only ) 16 seeds.

Edit : Yes, the extention to 32 seeds was made at the same time as the grass court formula was introduced after long discussions, and while the ATP was happy with the general Slam extention to 32 seeds it was still unhappy about moving away from the rankings at all.

https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/tennis/wimbledon-change-seeding-system-9249997.html

flamingowings wrote:

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Getting rather off topic for this thread...is there a 16 seed discussion somewhere to continue?

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Sorry flamingowings and Jay !

Not that I know of at the moment but I'll have a search.

New article on Jay (also mentions other Brits briefly):

www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/jul/03/tennis-tough-sport-to-break-into-says-rising-uk-hopeful-jay-clarke

Begs the question, WTF are the LTA playing at?

Jay is answering questions live on instagram, some include the following*:

What is your ranking goal for end of 2018: 150 or higher
When are you going to play another atp event: towards end of the year
Favourite tv show: peaky blinders
What did you think of Ilkley when you played there: nice club, nice people and very relaxed
Who did you lose to at u12 nationals: haha don't remember [ed: bet someone on here does!]
Thoughts on harriet's serve: absolute rocket
What is your best shot: forehand
Favourite match you've played: dubs with harriet on centre or with Willbomb at Wimbledon
Fave surface: US hardcourts
Are you going to play in Oviedo this year: haha, not this year
Will we see you in the DC team: don't know haha, I hope soon but not my choice
British player you're closest to: Isaac Stoute and Tiran Sanghera

*ed, one of which is my own question.