Probably comes with health warnings when it's live-tennis.eu, eg. they make enough mistakes with the current live weeks, let alone projecting further forward, including repeated mistakes like always awarding men's doubles entrants in R1 of mandatories 10 points when it's 0 ( stop it, just stop it ! ) and the maximum men's counters for the race ( 18 - # of mandatories remaining to be played in the year highly confuses them especially when a mandatory is on - Jay and Neil P are currently restricted here, actually having more than the current maximum 9 counters ) and something annoying with the women which I currently forget.
They really have long deserved demotion on the Google listings.
Thanks though, and much will at least be indicative and some right.
-- Edited by indiana on Tuesday 11th of April 2017 01:35:45 PM
Would be tremendous if Mandy could yet get into qualifying. She is well short yes, but it is is possible should she earn big points in her 25K this week and / or her 60K next week ( in theory one week left after these for an addition from a greater than 25K ). Started off with a R1 win today, probably at least taking her to a new CH in the top 250. Lots clearly still to do and maybe too much, but it's not over until it's over.
Did start so well last year with 72 points from the first two French Open 2017 counting weeks ( repeat that in the next two weeks and she'd be sorted ! ), but just another 80 from the remainder of 2016.
Naomi, probably seeded, and Tara, will be in qualies.
Heather was overtaken by a few more, is currently ranked 113, and will probably be in quailifying also, but would just make the main draw with 5 withdrawals.
Jo's seeding is all to play for in the earlier big clay events.
LTA/AELTC should have a WC exchange program with the French. Which nations do we have anything like that with? It seems a good idea for all slam nations to do it. If we don't have such an arangement with every other slam nation for at least 1 spot in mens and womens MD, I don't see why not.
With our strength in depth, we have to scrape the barrel to find 8 MD British slots for Wimby that aren't going to totally tank. We can afford for 3 of the slots to be taken due to an exchange arrangement.
We used to have an arrangement with Aus but it's obviously fallen by the wayside. Bally benefitted from it just before she became ill for he first time.
On reciprocal wildcards, my own view is that the USTA takes by far the best approach, using their wildcards as the bonus/main prize for a series of tournaments in the run up to the other Slams, so deciding their final destination by competition, not patronage. This gives their middling-ranked players several intense periods of competition and focus through the year, and they end up with 16 in the MD @ RG, with another 12 in qualies by right of ranking, plus WCs to follow. With the added bonus that several of the participants in these warm-up events will make their respective cuts simply by gaining ranking points; and play themselves into form on the relevent surface.
Certainly seems a more effective strategy than the LTA's policy of putting on nearly all domestic ITFs in June, after the cut-off rankings for Wimbledon have already been decided, on a surface that isn't used for the other 11 months, and so close to the tournament itself that our competitors are quite likely to miss out through picking up minor injuries or through scheduling screw-ups.
Wimbledon doesn't do the reciprocal WC's as the LTA doesn't own the event and therefore cannot guarantee the WC's to the other federations although in all likelihood they would go through.
I think the tougher stance on WC's has been a benefit. I want to see british players in the MD but i don't want to see them lose 6-0 6-1.
I would suspect that this year unless they get into the MD as of right. Hev, Naomi, Tara and Laura will defo get ones. The others will depend on how the next couple of months go. Katie Boulter could be in with a decent shot if she shows some good results on the grass.
Qualifying is going to be very interesting. I would expect Katie B, Katie S, Amanda C (if she decides to play) and Gabby Taylor to get them with everyone else in the play-offs.
If we could replicate what other countries do and have a play-off series of tournaments with a GS WC at stake that would be really good. What the US is doing right now with their RG WC looks good. Having one for the US Open would get so many UK players competing for it. We could hold a series for each foreign slam. I bet the LTA and AELTC could get the arrangement working if they wanted.
I too think the new firmer stance on gifting WC's has been a good thing. And it opens up WC slots for reciprocal opportunities like this.
I also think the winner of the Under 18 national champs should get a Wimbledon qualifying WC. It would get more of our better juniors into that event and would be a great incentive.
I also think the winner of the Under 18 national champs should get a Wimbledon qualifying WC. It would get more of our better juniors into that event and would be a great incentive.