Entries Week 11 - 16/03/20

seagull · Hall of fame

Entries Week 11 - 16/03/20

seagull · Hall of fame

WTA

Indian Wells Week 2 (Hard) - TBA

FUTURES

Australia $60K (Clay) - Bains

Brazil $25K (Clay) - Jones (Appleton)

Canada $25K (Indoor Hard) - Boulter (Webley-Smith)

Tunisia $15K (Hard) - Christie, Banks

Mexico $15K (Hard) - Lindh (Martins)

Israel $15K (Hard) - Barnett

Greece $15K (Clay) - (Popescu)

Michael D · All-time great

I'm wondering now how much of a clay court season there will be come April and May. The Italian W25s through April and May have all been cancelled now, and I can see the clay court season being heavily decimated. I can't imagine any clay court events going ahead in Italy now, but Spain and France are also starting to be badly affected too. For smaller tournaments with minimal crowds there may be less affect but for the major tournaments there are serious questions I'm sure currently being asked. The first men's clay court event is at Monte Carlo usually around Easter, and that's right next to the north Italian border.

Even the grass court season has to be in doubt too now, though a lot will depend on where this virus is by the end of March. If the numbers are still escalating, then the grass season will also be in doubt, but if some control has been achieved, the grass may still be ok. In China the numbers of new cases have declined sharply this week, but that's the result of a level of extreme lockdown that's not possible in Europe, but let's just hope for everyone's sake, and not just for tennis, that the numbers don't continue to rise well into April.

HarryGem · Club Coach

Michael D wrote:
I'm wondering now how much of a clay court season there will be come April and May. The Italian W25s through April and May have all been cancelled now, and I can see the clay court season being heavily decimated. I can't imagine any clay court events going ahead in Italy now, but Spain and France are also starting to be badly affected too. For smaller tournaments with minimal crowds there may be less affect but for the major tournaments there are serious questions I'm sure currently being asked. The first men's clay court event is at Monte Carlo usually around Easter, and that's right next to the north Italian border.

Even the grass court season has to be in doubt too now, though a lot will depend on where this virus is by the end of March. If the numbers are still escalating, then the grass season will also be in doubt, but if some control has been achieved, the grass may still be ok. In China the numbers of new cases have declined sharply this week, but that's the result of a level of extreme lockdown that's not possible in Europe, but let's just hope for everyone's sake, and not just for tennis, that the numbers don't continue to rise well into April.

I've been thinking along the same lines as well. I do wonder if the bigger tournaments will go ahead "behind closed doors" as they are covered by TV. As the crowds are so sparse at some it is obvious it is TV money which props them up. However, the lower ITF competitons though as you say have minimal crowds also have no TV coverage on the whole. So would be easier to cancel.

Also as competitons get cancelled presuambly entry levels to the remaining ones will go up so making it harder for lower ranked players to enter.

I've read some estimates that think the UK's spike will reach its top end in June. Right now I would say Wimbledon is under threat.

-- Edited by HarryGem on Saturday 7th of March 2020 07:02:15 AM

Michael D · All-time great

HarryGem wrote:
Michael D wrote:
I'm wondering now how much of a clay court season there will be come April and May. The Italian W25s through April and May have all been cancelled now, and I can see the clay court season being heavily decimated. I can't imagine any clay court events going ahead in Italy now, but Spain and France are also starting to be badly affected too. For smaller tournaments with minimal crowds there may be less affect but for the major tournaments there are serious questions I'm sure currently being asked. The first men's clay court event is at Monte Carlo usually around Easter, and that's right next to the north Italian border.

Even the grass court season has to be in doubt too now, though a lot will depend on where this virus is by the end of March. If the numbers are still escalating, then the grass season will also be in doubt, but if some control has been achieved, the grass may still be ok. In China the numbers of new cases have declined sharply this week, but that's the result of a level of extreme lockdown that's not possible in Europe, but let's just hope for everyone's sake, and not just for tennis, that the numbers don't continue to rise well into April.
I've been thinking along the same lines as well. I do wonder if the bigger tournaments will go ahead "behind closed doors" as they are covered by TV. As the crowds are so sparse at some it is obvious it is TV money which props them up. However, the lower ITF competitons though as you say have minimal crowds also have no TV coverage on the whole. So would be easier to cancel.
Also as competitons get cancelled presuambly entry levels to the remaining ones will go up so making it harder for lower ranked players to enter.
I've read some estimates that think the UK's spike will reach its top end in June. Right now I would say Wimbledon is under threat.

-- Edited by HarryGem on Saturday 7th of March 2020 07:02:15 AM

I'm not a fan of the methodology they use to project the potential course of epidemics like this. I think the peaking will happen earlier. Already the new infection rate is coming right down in China, although their measures to contain it have been extreme (of course they let it get out of control to begin with). With infection rates now going up in Europe, i think we're likely to see the peak measures to control the spread within March/April, with schools, big events etc just being shut down for 2-4 weeks. Nevertheless even with that timing, a grass court season beginning in June is going to have question marks over it..

As for the clay court season, yes I was also wondering if some of the bigger events might be held as TV only events...Will be quite eerie.

Madadman · Top national player

Phoenix is going to be some tournament. Normally the field would weaken from the original entry list. Will be a interesting to see what the doubles field is like. Is there the same restrictions on doubles rankings entering a Challenger as Single players?

Madadman · Top national player

Phoenix expanded from 48 to 56 field.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Madadman wrote:
Phoenix expanded from 48 to 56 field.

That is good, but why not 64?!

Madadman · Top national player

Apparently 5 places to on site sign in. 1 to WC, 2 to Qualifying. Qualifying expanded to an 8 man draw.

ROSAMUND · Futures level

When we talk about closing schools, cancelling events what about shutting down London Underground?

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Looking at wta site , looks like no new rankings today, hard to tell from atp site.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

ROSAMUND wrote:
When we talk about closing schools, cancelling events what about shutting down London Underground?

2 million people a day.

5 million trips.

Only a 2% drop in numbers in the last week (according to the TFL boss)

But if you shut the underground, how do the nurses get to work????????

the addict · Tennis legend

WTA tour now officially suspended until May 2nd at the earliest - Stuttgart, Istanbul and Prague cancelled.

ROSAMUND · Futures level

the addict wrote:
WTA tour now officially suspended until May 2nd at the earliest - Stuttgart, Istanbul and Prague cancelled.

At the moment players wouldn't be able to get into Stuttgart and Prague because the countries have shut down entry to everybody..

seagull · Hall of fame

JonH comes home wrote:
Looking at wta site , looks like no new rankings today, hard to tell from atp site.

That would have been the case anyway as it was supposed to be Week 2 of Indian Wells.