FFT use all 14 doubles wildcards for all-French pairs. Just FYI AELTC/LTA
Let's see how many Brits get a chance, although I wish the AELTC/LTA would be more open to decent 50% British regular pairings rather than some of the all British mix and match pairs they look for in the grass season.
I agree. I dont see any point in forcing an all British pair for Wimbledon. This isnt the Olympics or some sport like badminton or curling. Let the players stick with their normal or regular partner and give wildcards to pairs like that. 8 half british pairs and a few wins is better than 8 full British pairs crashing out in the opening round.
FFT use all 14 doubles wildcards for all-French pairs. Just FYI AELTC/LTA
Let's see how many Brits get a chance, although I wish the AELTC/LTA would be more open to decent 50% British regular pairings rather than some of the all British mix and match pairs they look for in the grass season.
I agree. I dont see any point in forcing an all British pair for Wimbledon. This isnt the Olympics or some sport like badminton or curling. Let the players stick with their normal or regular partner and give wildcards to pairs like that. 8 half british pairs and a few wins is better than 8 full British pairs crashing out in the opening round.
As well as making competitive sense to say give Tara a chance with Emina, it will quite possibly not end up a case of British players really being deprived of doubles WCs as against foreigners if all the potential WC slots end up not being filled. But such a pairing doesn't fit their daft priorities
Agreed Indy. They've done it occasionally in the past - Tara/Conny, Naomi/Asia - but effectively forcing Brits to pair up who don't normally play together is strange. Although I see the FFT don't seem to have been prepared to give Lechemia an entry with her usual partner Ingrid Neel (they've done very well past couple of months too).
FFT use all 14 doubles wildcards for all-French pairs. Just FYI AELTC/LTA
Read with interest that a lot of people think the wildcards should be given to the established pairs.
Can see the argument both ways.
But it'll be interesting to see how the French pairs do, as their policy is so single-track.
I don't put much store by established partnerships.
Purely randomly, I clicked on the Portugal Challenger event, and looked at the doubles players who've made the final:
Lenz has played with 7 different partners in his last 7 events (and is in the final here and won last week in Italy)
Quiroz is not much different (although less success).
De Jong had played with one partner 3 times, but 3 different others, and is in the final with one of those.
Van Rij is the only one who has had the same partner for all his previous events (although did pretty badly and had suddenly made the final here with a new guy)
So, purely on that one-off research (!), my feeling is pretty much confirmed - play with who you like, it won't make much difference. So it might as well be another Brit. And if the AELTC is therefore funding more GB players, I'm all all for it. (And absolutely do NOT give them to next of the list - complete nonsense for doubles. Give wildcards to the girls who win the U18 dubs, or Matilda and Jasmine, or Lissey and Olivia, or anyone really....)
Naomi has entered the doubles with Emma. I guess they maybe figure Emma's time out gets her round the not committed to doubles rule, even though she has never played a single senior doubles match even when fit...
So Nottm WCs should be announced this week, maybe even tomorrow. What are we expecting? Is it 3 WCs and up to 2 top 20 WCs, possibly becoming normal WCs if not taken?
The likes of Andreescu, maybe Bertens should probably consider requesting one.
QWCs as well - will Freya get one with it being her local event, probably shouldn't really on current form.
Freya is in Monastir at the moment, so I very much doubt whether she is in line for one. And as you say, her form is poor right now. She really doesn't deserve one if she's struggling to win matches at W15 level.
Now that all our women are out of RG, I believe that none of our top twenty are actually playing this week (Freya being GB21), and for w/c 7th June there are just Emily W-S, Beth and Lissey entered in Portugal W25 qualifying, along with Freya and Emily Lindh. So plenty of choice !
I was thinking about whether Jodie or Fran would get the 3rd WC after I posted in the entry lists thread earlier today (having forgotten there are 3 WCs). Would Jodie be higher in the pecking order, given she is (probably) the better grass court player of the two. Fran hasn't won a match in an international event since Roehampton juniors in 2017.
So, yes I'd agree with Harriet, KB, and Jodie. QWCs would be Fran and KS. I can't find any official confirmation but tennisteen has it as a 16 Q draw so only 2 QWCs. There may be an additional MDWC if neither top 20 WC is used.
Somebody has put on Wiki that KB and Fran have MDWCs.
Poor Fran - she definitely deserves a wildcard, based on what she has done over the last 12 months. I'd have only put Harriet ahead of her in the queue for one.