Well done Wardy - I missed the end of the match - glad he finished it off emphatically.

paulisi wrote:

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JonH wrote:

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Good win, 6 and 3. Live rankings have him at 533, one more win and back in the top 10 ahead of Tom Farquharson.

Re Paulisi comment - with a good run this week, why wouldnt he be a candidate for Challenger wild cards this season - maybe a main draw wild card for Wimbledon now I would wager, it needed a decent performance and this will put him in the frame I feel. Maybe even Queens would look favourably if he puts in a decent run at say Surbiton as well, he has history at Queens of course.

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 He can only use 3 MD wildcards per year plus a GS

He used them at Shrewsbury and both the indoor challengers.

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 Wasnt sure on limits to wildcards so read up on it. Only reference I can see in the atp rulebook mentions a limit of 5.

 

http://www.atpworldtour.com/-/media/files/rulebook/2018/2018-rulebook_3may18_for-lw.pdf

P.104

B. Limitation

1) Singles. Players may accept up to five (5) main draw singles wild cards into ATP World Tour tournaments during any ATP Circuit Year. Wild cards shall only count toward the annual limit if the player would have been a direct acceptance on the original acceptance list. Additional exceptions are outlined below.

a) Players who cannot participate in ATP World Tour tournaments and ATP Challenger Tour tournaments for six (6) months because of a physical injury may petition ATP for one additional wild card.

b) In the event that a players position in the ATP Rankings is insufficient to make him a direct acceptance on the forty-two (42) day acceptance list, then he shall be released from his commitment to that tournament, unless offered a wild card to the contract tournament within twenty-four (24) hours of the entry deadline. Such wild card accepted by a player shall not count in the players annual limitation of five (5) wild cards in singles.

c) Any player who becomes thirty-five (35) years of age by December 31 of an ATP circuit year shall be exempt from the wild card limitation if he is:

i) A former singles Champion of a Grand Slam; or

ii) A former singles Champion of the ATP World Championships, Tennis

Masters Cup or Nitto ATP Finals; or

iii) A former No. 1 ranked player in the ATP Singles Rankings prior to Janu-

ary 2000; or

iv) A former No. 1 player in the year-end ATP Rankings.

d) Players may petition ATP for exceptions to these limitations.

I also assume he isnt restricted to how many Qualifying wildcards he can receive.

Dan gets a not before 5pm slot tomorrow. In the doubles there were wins today for Luke B/Jonny and Freddie/Joe (over Scott/Luke J)

BRITAINS WARD THROUGH TO LOUGHBOROUGH TROPHY QUARTER-FINAL

Any memories of an injured James Ward are fast disappearing after the Londoner methodically dismantled third seed Christian Harrison (USA) at the Loughborough Trophy on Wednesday.

Looking fit and confident following knee surgery last year, Wards serve was a powerful weapon against the American - clocking a top speed of 197km per/hour on his way to a 76(2) 63 victory.

I served well again - not as well as Monday, but I still felt comfortable in my service games, said Ward, who was awarded a wildcard into the ATP Challenger event.

I felt like I was playing well. I was motivated and moving well, Im just pleased to be in the next round.

Ward is the first Briton through to the quarter-final, with Dan Evans round two match scheduled to take place on Thursday.

I hope Evo [Dan Evans] plays well this week, hes had a tough time and hes playing well again. So hopefully he gets a win tomorrow and we can keep pushing each other, Ward remarked.

The 2015 Davis Cup champion will play the winner of Teymuraz Gabashvili (RUS) and Emil Ruusuvuori (FIN) on Friday.

Other singles results saw Japans Yosuke Watanuki shock top seed and inaugural Glasgow Trophy champion Lukas Lacko (SVK): 63 62.

Lacko, 30, has been ranked as high as world no. 44, while 20-year-old Watanuki currently sits at a career-high ranking of world no. 283, but the Japanese youngster far outplayed that number on Centre Court.

After the match, the 20-year-old was ecstatic about his triumph.

I am so happy now, because I know he's a big opponent, Watanuki enthused. I was in a semi-final [in South Korea] last week, and I'm so happy to have the chance to play here.

I was so tired [in the second set], but I just focussed one point at a time and then managed to finish the match.

In doubles, Nottinghams Luke Bambridge and Scotlands Jonny OMara dominated Aussie duo Max Purcell and Dayne Kelly with a comprehensive victory 64 60, sealed in just 45 minutes.

That was a lot of fun out there. I think last time we played together was three weeks ago, and we went straight back to work with what we've been doing, Bambridge said of the pairs winning partnership, which includes a string of recent good results in the USA and Mexico.

I was fully expecting that one to be a really tough match; I know Max very very well, and I know he's got a lot of ability, and he can play he's the no. 2 seed here. So I knew he was going to be a good opponent, but I didn't expect them to go away so easily like they did.

The pair will now face off in a British double-header against wildcards Scott Duncan and Isaac Stoute for a place in the quarter-finals.

I actually know one of the guys very well: Scott Duncan. He's actually going to be wearing my kit tomorrow I gave him a lot of stuff, so I'll probably be in his head a little bit, quipped OMara of his fellow Scot. "So looking forward to that one."

In other British doubles results, Joe Salisbury (GBR) and Frederik Nielsen (DEN) secured second round berths with a win over British duo Scott Clayton and Luke Johnson: 61 61.

I know we all love the new young guns to shine.

But it's just great seeing the couple of 'older' blokes, Evo and Dino, doing well and leading the charge.

It's so important for our tennis to have a full range of players, active and doing well.

Good luck to the two of them.

Good luck to both but reckon Dan is going to win the whole thing.