Week 7 - WTA Premier ($2.6M) - Dubai, UAE Hard

Peter too · Tennis legend

Week 7 - WTA Premier ($2.6M) - Dubai, UAE Hard

the addict · Tennis legend

HowardDubai wrote:
I watched some of the Vera v Dabrowski match and is was cringeworthy. I look forward to finding out how she got the wildcard. She is, at best, a club player. It wasnt the couple of serves that hit her side of the net before reaching the net or the string of awful unforced errors that bothered me but rather her complete lack of interest in playing. I think it is sad that there are so many eager juniors who would have loved the opportunity to play a top 100 player at a WTA event and the wild card went to someone so disinterested.

The lack of interest makes it even worse. I was originally feeling a bit sorry for Vera being thrown in at the deep end, and felt that she shouldn't have been there. O doubt she'll even make good use of the prize money either. I bet Gabi didn't appreciate the lack of a proper match either, even though she got an easy passage onto the next round.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

the addict wrote:
HowardDubai wrote:
I watched some of the Vera v Dabrowski match and is was cringeworthy. I look forward to finding out how she got the wildcard. She is, at best, a club player. It wasnt the couple of serves that hit her side of the net before reaching the net or the string of awful unforced errors that bothered me but rather her complete lack of interest in playing. I think it is sad that there are so many eager juniors who would have loved the opportunity to play a top 100 player at a WTA event and the wild card went to someone so disinterested.
The lack of interest makes it even worse. I was originally feeling a bit sorry for Vera being thrown in at the deep end, and felt that she shouldn't have been there. O doubt she'll even make good use of the prize money either. I bet Gabi didn't appreciate the lack of a proper match either, even though she got an easy passage onto the next round.

Presumably the wild card was bought for her?

Chris Goldsmith on twitter has campaigned for the tournaments to publish on what basis a wild card is given eg rising star, local hope, ex champion, former top 10 etc etc and I think that would be good.

the addict · Tennis legend

Comments and a couple of pics from Beth - and a note saying "all eyes on the doubles now"

task.io/haltontennis/prov3/t/2539e58ea9d7c4f62ef8d75eb31d161b

emmsie69 · ATP level

Please don't tear down a 15 year old, it won't have been her fault that she ended up on the court, I'm pretty sure she wasn't keen on being there either.

Grachka · Club Coach

I don't think anyone was tearing down the 15-year-old in question, but rather the system which enabled her to be on court in the first place.

emmsie69 · ATP level

Certainly a couple of responses were aimed at her.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

emmsie69 wrote:
Certainly a couple of responses were aimed at her.

My comment on buying the wild card was definitely aimed at the system, hence the comment on Chris goldsmith.

Wild cards should be much more transparent, as a 15 year old she is a victim of the money folks around her.

the addict · Tennis legend

JonH comes home wrote:
emmsie69 wrote:
Certainly a couple of responses were aimed at her.
My comment on buying the wild card was definitely aimed at the system, hence the comment on Chris goldsmith.

Wild cards should be much more transparent, as a 15 year old she is a victim of the money folks around her.

Yes, comments were directed at the system that put her in that position, she shouldn't have been in that position. It sounds like she didn't want to be there either.

the addict · Tennis legend

Beth and Eden didn't get a wildcard and didn't make the cut in the doubles (appears to be at CR161)

Michael D · All-time great

the addict wrote:
Beth and Eden didn't get a wildcard and didn't make the cut in the doubles (appears to be at CR161)

cry

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

On the basis the Dubai and Doha are relatively close, I will post this here!

Live rankings, Kvitova has reached 11 (no change on the week ) and Sabalenka 12 (+1). If Sabalenka wins she goes above Kvitova and into 11th. Kvitova could thus reach a premier 5 final, gain 585 points on the week, and actually lose a position on the week to 12th.

It is fine but not always sure it makes sense to the wider public! It is a large part of the reason the ATP tried to push the Race to the fore!

And on that front, Kvitova is 6th and Sabalenka 8th, a Kvitova win would take her 3rd.