Week 17 - ATP 250 - Gazprom Hungarian Open - Budapest, Hungary (clay)

theemptyvessel · Club Coach

Week 17 - ATP 250 - Gazprom Hungarian Open - Budapest, Hungary (clay)

Strongbow · All-time great

Well done Aljaz

TMH · Futures qualifying

I don't see anything wrong with the tweet on its own. Could be construed in a variety of ways.

I guess it's his prior history on this subject that is leading people to believe it's malicious, which is probably reasonable enough. Fuller's comments made it into a bigger deal when it didn't need to be. Quite unprofessional from a BBC journo.

Mervatron2 · Challenger qualifying

Great week for Aljaz. Shame about the final but Pouille is a great player.

Spectator · All-time great

There's a simple rule. If a situation has caused someone else distress, you don't make a joke about it. Just basic common sense and decency. And if you've previously made unhelpful comments about said situation, then the rule is doubly relevant. Irresponsible from Russell Fuller? Certainly not the most helpful comment. But the unprofessionalism didn't start with him.

On a more positive note, super work from Aljaz Bedene. Lovely to see him having such a good run. Hope it continues in Turkey!

For what it's worth, I think the fact that Mr Bedene can't represent GB in the Davis Cup - because of the reasons for that inability - make him more, not less, worthy of GB support. Here is someone who had made his intentions clear, set up his new life here, announced that he intended to become a citizen, embraced Britain .... and then the ITF changed the rules on which he had based his course of action. Were they right to change the rules? Well, yes, I think they were. But were they right to change them and not to make exemptions for people who could show that they had already made a substantial commitment on the basis of the prior rules? No. De facto, given that he'd clearly announced his intention and moved his life, they rendered him 'stateless' for DC purposes ... unless he immediately ceased his attempts to receive British citizenship and returned to Slovenia, which he had made it clear was not his intention and which he did not do. So he is 'stateless' because he chose to stick with the UK.

Anyone with a British sense of 'fair play' is likely to feel that actually he's been rather hard done by and to respect the fact that he honoured his commitment, even when it was clear it would have a downside. Moreover, I love the fact that he actually cares enough about DC that it's a big issue for him. He could, after all, just make his living on the Tour and not give a fig.

-- Edited by Spectator on Monday 1st of May 2017 06:02:07 AM

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Very well expressed, Spec.

After all, if you're basing it on Davis Cup, you could make a far stronger argument for refusing to support Naomi Broady - who is eligible to play for her country, and almost certainly would have been picked, but refuses - than Aljaz - who desperately wants to play for his new country but is not allowed to.

NB Not my argument, I don't base anything on Davis Cup, but it makes some sense.

Jan · Hall of fame

Agreed - very well said Spectator.

KK · Club Coach

Coup Droit wrote:
Very well expressed, Spec.

After all, if you're basing it on Davis Cup, you could make a far stronger argument for refusing to support Naomi Broady - who is eligible to play for her country, and almost certainly would have been picked, but refuses - than Aljaz - who desperately wants to play for his new country but is not allowed to.

NB Not my argument, I don't base anything on Davis Cup, but it makes some sense.

That is why I strongly support Aljaz, but am ambivalent about Naomi Broady, particularly in view of the wild cards she has received for being British.

Also agree, how very well expressed Spec.

-- Edited by KK on Monday 1st of May 2017 09:57:29 AM

christ · Futures level

If I may offer a different perspective: You are British and you consider that a major high point in your career is representing your country in the world championship of your current sport. You struggle (with yourself as much as anything) to get to a position where you are a definite contender for a place in the team. Then it must be quite galling if an until then not-British person, of considerably higher ranking and - to be honest - pedigree decides that he wants to be British, and wants to take away your chance of representing your country.

I know that the British stiff upper lip thing to do is to suck it up and try harder, and jolly well beat the chap at his own game, but all the same it must be a bit upsetting. Not only does mr Evans have to deal with the Wards and Edmunds of the world all of a sudden there is the spectre of a foreign chap ranked markedly above him changing allegiance and swanning in and ending all competition for the place alongside mr Murray.

I think I may comprehend some portion of his bitterness, and perhaps his self-satisfaction at gaining the place.

- not that I think that crowing on twitter is ever justified.

KK · Club Coach

That's a good point too.

It is similar to boys (I am only aware of it happening at boys' public schools e.g. Harrow) who train hard to be in the first team for their year in cricket or rugby and then lose their place to a sports scholar who is brought in for the 6th form so never get to play for the school first team. Clearly this is less important, but it must be desperately disappointing and annoying to those concerned.

But still think less of Dan for his comments.

skibbarriz · Strong Club Player

A point nicely put by Spectator. There exists an alternative interpretation that his 'making a joke about it' is him expressing exasperation at the ITF and solidarity with Aljaz. That would be looking at it in isolation and not giving any bearing to previous crimes to determine guilt or innocence. Same standard to how the lawcourts work. But without being mind readers we don't know for a fact how he meant it.

As has been stated, there are lots of reasons to support and like Aljaz and I'm also one of the many that do. It's great to see him doing so well right now.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Chris-t, I don't agree but you obviously have a point (although I think it would only 'justify' the GB player him/herself having a bit of a gripe against the foreign player, not the fans' lack of support for the foreign player).

But, to me, there is another way of looking at the same thing. There are quite a few football players (for instance) who are 100% English (born and raised here, basically English parents, feel totally English).
And yet they are not good enough to play for the ENglish national team.
And so they resurrect their Welsh grandma (metaphorically speaking) and go to play for Wales (say) as that's there only option of getting international football and playing World Cup.
Regular Welsh players must feel a bit peeved and you can see their point.
But it doesn't apply to Aljaz: he's got no necessity to play GB Davis Cup, he'd be a shoe-in for Slovenian Davis Cup.
And his life is here, now, completely, (unlike Brydan, say, who I've nothing against (now) but seems to me is still more Australian in his location, friends and life).
Seems to me there's a big difference.

Oakland2002 · All-time great

It is a very difficult situation for Aljaz I have a certain sympathy for his position and that of any British born player who has no choice to loose out because of a change in allegiance. The only way to resolve it is to remove any ambiguity in the rules around the criteria that need to be satisfied to allow a player to compete for any given country.

It seems reasonable that you should choose one and then stick with it. Once you have played you are done, just because a better offer comes along later. Cam could potentially play for New Zealand and both Cam and Kyle for South Africa. I am sure Cam would be welcomed should he continue to progress at his present rate, Kyle tough Do-dee mate you are stuck with us, too late to change, he has made his choice!

We are fortunate to have the team we have given the recent growth in Kyles and Evos games. Decisions have been made they had to be made at a specific time and my impression was at the time they were made Aljaz was A Slovenian who had exercised his own free will and chosen to play for Slovenia. Now he is British and has all the privileges that affords apart from having chosen to play for someone else in the DC can't play for Britain.