JonH comes home wrote:

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Andy Parker wrote:

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I don't always agree with JonH, but today I think you are spot on - 104 places plus 16 qualies are on merit, and the wildcards are just who the committee wants to see - be that famous old players who want to be entered, young hotshots or Brits. Hopefully we will get 4 or 5 this year - I am sure that Harriet and Fran will get one, and almost sure Katie B will too - like others, I think Katie Swan may get one and possibly Emma, but I can't see them taking Jodie Burrage or any other of the lesser names, unless one of those players really goes on a run between now and June.

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 You don't ??! 

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 I did actually laugh when I read that line, haha.

brendan wrote:

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Ok WCs for Anne Jones, Virginia Wade, Sue Barker and Jo Durie

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 Well what about one for Laura Robson? 

Hope not. Never once made the 2nd week in her 16 attempts at Wimbledon, and 7 R1 exits. I'm pretty sure she does have a slam PR or two available, as a lot of the Aussies on TF were wanting her to use it at the recent AO instead of taking up a MDWC, so hopefully she uses up one of those.

I think Stosur would be up above the Zvonereva's of the game as an ex SLam champ, but below a Kim, if we had an order - there is clearly no exact science and someone at her ranking level would also tick a box of being a current player and likely to be competitive. Clearly, the Barkers, Wades etc are a "joke" , I hope so, cos there is no way a non current player or someone who clearly couldnt be competitive could get one.

Which brings us to Laura - whether she is current or not is a moot point - she hasnt played in a long time, there is no evidence she would be competitive, and although she has a media profile which is large, she clearly isnt a big name beyond that, as in slam winner, ex top 10, etc. She is currently as much a media personality as anything else. I think if she came back and could play, a QWC is something she might realistically get but I couldnt see her getting a MDWC or deserving one really.

indiana wrote:

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Welcome brendan to the minority

I've refrained from boring folk the last couple of years with fuller thughts but still doesn't mean I am in favour at all of Slam MD WCs. Slams are the sport's ultimate, a place in which to be aspired to and earned. Yes Jon, maybe no payments orher than err them receiving R1 prize money. There's better ways of funding GB players.

Again, it's a general Slam MD issue for me so I am not suggesting at all that GB players unilaterally should miss out. Thus the whole business will continue.

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 I still feel, though, that 104 players plus 128 players in qualies ie 232 players in total have an actual qualified chance of winning this whole thing and thus can show that by doing well and winning matches. If the powers that be want to  reach out to some of those based on past performance, star quality, status in the game ,  future potential etc etc and put them in the field, I think that is all well and dandy and creates interest. Goran springs to mind, winning Wimbledon from way back in the 120's or whatever it was, back in 2001!  I think whoever gets a wildcard does need to have the likelihood of being competitive and winning a match or two, a first round guaranteed flunk is no good to anyone and isnt what this is about. 

 

Yes, it's subjective I guess. Stosur would bring absolutely no name value from my POV. I'd personally have Vera above Stosur with her being a former Wimbledon finalist. Plus a notable contrast in their results this year. Vera got to a W500 / Premier semi final just last week, putting out the 3rd seed along the way, so is showing form, whereas Stosur's 2021 results thus far are:

Bouzkova 2-6 0-6
Beat a fellow MDWC at the AO, but then lost 0-6 1-6 to Pegula (which possibly isn't quite as bad as it sounded at the time, given what Jess has done since)
Lost to compatriot Maddison Inglis in Adelaide.

She also lost her last 4 matches in 2020 as well before those above results (so 7 defeats in 8), including a loss to Vera at fake IW, just before the pandemic, so competitive-wise, I'd definitely give the edge to Vera, but accept the carrot of the slam, does still hold a bit of weight.

But yes, Clijsters definitely on another level to both generally (in terms of name value, and likelihood of getting the nod, not form).

-- Edited by Ace Ventura on Wednesday 24th of March 2021 05:43:50 PM

and always remembering a big name in one market or event is different to another - Mahut seems to have lots of credit points in Wimbledon due to the longest ever match but for many other places, he may not have the same resonance. Tournies like Miami tend to look to Latin American players for their wildcards and some Brits as well it seems !