Ace Ventura wrote:

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It's been discussed on here before, probably last year, as I think someone (maybe CD) said some French people on social media weren't best pleased with Eden getting a WC last year, and I can see their point a bit. It's obviously not at all a Pula situation and there are links with Eden and the club, so it is justified in some respects, but at the same time, if Bath had a W60 event, it would be a bit annoying if someone like Nadja Gilchrist got a MDWC just for living / training there. I guess with it being so close to RG, that won't help the French peoples feeling.

I understand some won't agree though and to be fair, some of the French alternatives haven't exactly been in great form in the various big home ITF events in recent weeks, and many would have likely lost by a similar score line anyway.

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There are always some people who will bitch and moan, French as well as everyone else.

But, although I remember quite a lot complaining last year about Eden, that was BEFORE they'd realised that she played for the team. I don't think there was any one of note, or any in numbers, who complained after.

Team tennis is such a big thing, a core to all tennis fans/players.

And the tournaments are very much local events, not anonymous FFT events that are just hosted in some town, drawn from a hat. 

So I think people accepted it fine once they realised.

On top of which, St Gaudens is next to Toulouse (south west). So a GB player, from the club, with obvious Portuguese connections, even if in the very dim past, will almost certainly be a LOT more popular than a generic, unknown player from Paris.