Week 20 - ITF ($25K) - Caserta, Italy Clay

wimdledont · Challenger level

Week 20 - ITF ($25K) - Caserta, Italy Clay

Michael D · All-time great

wimdledont wrote:
I'm pro GS WCs. The only thing that interested me in RG qualies was whether any French qualified. I suspect that French WCs will provide more entertaining matches in RG Week 1 than all of the top 8 seeds of either sex.

If you're picking Wimbledon WCs on the basis that a player was playing well 2 years ago, pick Laura. If you want a player that may play well in two years time, pick KS or perhaps Freya. Amanda is the form player right now.

I think she's also due some recognition for winning 300 ITF matches with GB against her name; without ever getting a single WTA MD wildcard. She's also only just this last week passed US$100k career earnings, over a decade; and I think her recent results do suggest that, with the extra resources from R1 or R2 Wimbledon prize money, she could go on to greater things - getting to the qualifiers for RG'17 would look distinctly possible, starting from here.

If we were playing a Fed Cup tie away on clay next week, she'd be my third pick, after Jo and Heather. In the absence of either of those, she'd play.

I also think that, if Amanda continues in anything like this current form, and is still overlooked, that's a slap in the face, and a major de-motivator not just for her, but for every other of our players battling along on the ITF circuit. Why bother trying, if the best prizes have already been divvied up between the "scholarship girls", before the race is even run?

If Leicester City get the most points, they win the Premier League.

Yes, I support you and AliBB on this. I'd like to see Mandy given some entries into earlier grass season tournaments too, to show what she can do. However, if she stays on clay, as she is for the time being, think all this will remain hypothetical, beyond a Wimbledon Q card.

wolf · Tennis legend

Surely Mandy should withdraw from the 10K next week as if she gets to the final she won't be able to play the 100K qualies the week after.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Mandy got a Wildcard into Surbiton last year, I seem to remember, and did well there.

So one would expect her to be there again ?

I think she quite liked playing on grass (or maybe she's just a cheerful sort, who smiles whatever - a likeable trait in itself

)

I happen to agree about a Wimbly MD wildcard (although I think it's highly unlikely).

I think wildcards should be shared around (as they do pretty well in France) and this year we have no obvious candidates (i.e. no players ranked 100-200) so there's a bit more room to be flexible and to give one to Mandy this year, say, on the basis that it is a good time in her career, she's playing well, and there's 'room' to give her one.

Strongbow · All-time great

Look at it from Mandy's point of view defending 15pts over 3 weeks.

Top seed on top form at a 10k on clay (100 places above the next player) and 12 pts on offer, if she wins or comes close the 15pts become a moot point. If she misses out on the final she can still go the 100k qualies in France.

If she doesn't go deep there she should still get a MDWC to Surbiton being our No. 4.

I think she's got risk/reward balance about right. Loads of upside and not much downside smile

Mervatron · Masters Series Champion

Shouldn't t be more a case of 'I'm in the form of my life, having my best wins ever, let's give this bigger event a chance'

Surely she'd be likely to get a WTA MD WC at some point with 3 events too?

wimdledont · Challenger level

As Bisbal, the Spanish 10k, is only about 100km from Barcelona, I think it's also a chance to touch base. She and Alice and all the rest of their set-up should also be very pleased to see Alice add all these doubles points, as it means that they may more easily be able to find tournaments that both Amanda and Alice can play. In fact, the ideal result in Bisbal for Amanda might be for Alice to win the singles, and narrow the singles rankings gap between the pair of them.

P.S. There's also another 25k in Italy next week, and a possible slim chance that Alice+ may have earned themselves last-minute wildcards from a grateful Italian Federation?

-- Edited by wimdledont on Sunday 22nd of May 2016 09:13:36 AM

Michael D · All-time great

wimdledont wrote:
As Bisbal, the Spanish 10k, is only about 100km from Barcelona, I think it's also a chance to touch base. She and Alice and all the rest of their set-up should also be very pleased to see Alice add all these doubles points, as it means that they may more easily be able to find tournaments that both Amanda and Alice can play. In fact, the ideal result in Bisbal for Amanda might be for Alice to win the singles, and narrow the singles rankings gap between the pair of them.

Alice's singles ranking has really slid this year from 405 in June 15 to 658 now (she just lost a chunk of points as was 560 on entry to Bisbal). Whilst Alice is only 23, and thus younger than Mandy, it's unclear how much upside potential she really has. At the moment, whilst they are a handy doubles pair, don't think Alice can rise near to Mandy's singles level.

Mandy is not in the field for the Eastbourne 50k week 30 May, but she is an alternate for Surbiton, where she reached the QF last year, the following week of 6 June. The Surbiton field currently is much stronger than the Eastbourne field. For Surbiton, as 19th alt she is the highest rank Brit in the draw!

Michael D · All-time great

Well, after all this Mandy is NOT in the main draw for Bisbal.

Mervatron · Masters Series Champion

She does need a week off otherwise she could be looking at 7/8 weeks on the trot.

philwrig · Hall of fame

There's 2 reasons why Mandy won't get a Wimby WC: 1. She's not in the top 250 and 2. She's not got a great record/not played much on the green stuff albeit she was respectable on it last year. As for saying Laura is less deserving I can't grasp that understanding. I just ask one question which of these 2 players is more likely to win at Wimby, and there is only 1 answer, with Laura now finally getting her game back on track, if it was on clay fully understand the dilemma although I would still put Laura ahead just.