Indiana, I didn't edit that bit actually - the bit I changed was actually that I misread your earlier post when you said that you were disappointed that all the qualifying wildcards weren't used and I had thought that you had said the main draw ones, and I had wrongly quoted you, so on one paragraph about Pironkova, I took out ''As Indiana says''.

It doesn't matter anyway - wildcards into qualifying are never a punishment, but I am sure that Katie S will look at Sam and Jodie getting main draw wildcards and will feel that if Sam and Jodie got one, she should have had one too.

I wouldn't rule out one of the Brits coming through qualifying this year either - particularly in the case of Katie S and Emma. We shall see anyway.

-- Edited by Andy Parker on Wednesday 16th of June 2021 12:21:17 PM

I'm baffled why people think Pironkova, who has not made it past the 2nd round in 9 out of 12 appearances at Wimbledon and 6 of those were being knocked out in the first round, should get a WC.

It makes no sense to give Venus a WC. She is next in so all they have to do is not use 1 WC and she is in anyway. I can only assume its PR to avoid all the hoo-ha of Venus being overlooked by people who don't realise she'd be in anyway.

I'm surprised they haven't bumped Signur up being current Junior champion.

RedSquirrel wrote:

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I'm baffled why people think Pironkova, who has not made it past the 2nd round in 9 out of 12 appearances at Wimbledon and 6 of those were being knocked out in the first round, should get a WC.

It makes no sense to give Venus a WC. She is next in so all they have to do is not use 1 WC and she is in anyway. I can only assume its PR to avoid all the hoo-ha of Venus being overlooked by people who don't realise she'd be in anyway.

I'm surprised they haven't bumped Signur up being current Junior champion.

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 Pironkova has a better record than you are saying - semi in 2010, quarter final in 2011, last 16 in 2013, and out for a while to have a baby, if all that sounds too distant. She twice put out Venus Williams, and other scalps at Wimbledon include Zvonareva, Bartoli and Martic - chuck in some epic battles against Kvitova, Sharapova and Radwanska and lots of people watch when she is playing, as she is one of around ten or twelve players who regularly are lower ranked but cause damage to seeds at Wimbledon.

Oh how interesting Jon! If that is correct, Ace lives on. (Hopefully he does return here in time)

JonH comes home wrote:

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flamingowings wrote:

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Oh how interesting Jon! If that is correct, Ace lives on. (Hopefully he does return here in time)

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 i am sure it is correct - various  things align the two - but i could be wrong...ha. 

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 I immediately thought "that must be Ace" without even reading the rest of the post.

Coup Droit wrote:

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PaulM wrote:

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Yes CD, seems odd that Em couldn't get a wild card when she was 150, British #2 and winning big challengers, but is this year. Perhaps they have 'softened' approach given pandemic disruption? But I note Naomi hasn't been given anything (she entered with Emma), perhaps she is moving to focus on her media career (and could perhaps appear with Liam in the mixed as a final match....?)

Although I said no surprises, I didn't really expect Sam to be rewarded, but she did make Q3 in 2019.

And agree with you on qualies. Why couldn't they give one to Kylie? I don't think it cheapens the reward for winning U18 nationals, it's an exceptional year with no pre-qualies. Or just hand them on ranking (which of available players would have been Em and Beth I guess, maybe that's why they didn't go that way!)

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 There definitely seems to be what you call a 'softening', whether to do with covid, not sure. 

It's not just once either - EWS and Sam and Tara appear on various lists.

I noted Naomi's absence too but, like you, wondered if that was more to do with her priorities now. 

In general, though, I am extremely glad that the older players are being recognised.

To me it is irrelevant that their best years are behind them (as emmsie says). Rather, it's a sign that the federation supports the whole tennis body, and doesn't just dump you if you're not top 100 material. That age discrimination is illegal. That younger players can take heart in the fact. I think it provides a good message to younger players and may well encourage them to stay in the sport, and makes the sport richer. 

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 I am in near total agreement with the British wildcards

In main draw singles they have been given to players ranked 2-7-which is exactly as it should be.

Quali singles have gone to 8,9,11,13, 16 plus the two most promising juniors. Those to miss out are: 10- Carreras (never seems to play on grass), 12-Dunne and 14- Lumsden (neither have been playing) and 15-Webley-Smith (mainly playing doubles)

Doubles rewards regular doubles players (for once) with the four pairs coming from the top 10 ranked players. Missing are: Konta who could have one if she requested one and Broady (the only player who could feel justifiably aggrieved). The LTA set up the four pairs to play the pre-Wimbledon events and have followed this through to Wimbledon. I have been watching at Nottingham and Birmingham and kudos to Claire Curran who has been watching all the British pairs and communicating with them afterwards.

All so much better than the previous policies of wild cards to the favoured few and no interest whatsoever to anyone over 23.