Week 44 - ITF W25 - Haabneeme, Estonia Hard

Peter too · Tennis legend

Week 44 - ITF W25 - Haabneeme, Estonia Hard

Jaggy1876 · Grand Slam Champion

Kanepi ranked 72 in a 25k is all wrong even if it is fairly local for her. Very strong 25k field here overall. Swan gets her in the second round so it could be a short tournament here.

the addict · Tennis legend

Kanepi played (and won) Parnu in 2018 and earlier this year. Not really unusual that she plays a home tournament when it doesn't clash with a WTA one that she prefers. But it still rankles that it is allowed.

Jaggy1876 · Grand Slam Champion

Yes she has done it before Im aware of that but a bit of a nonsense really. Katie needs some points to get to Australia and probably thought this was a good chance.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Slightly better than her W15 title in 2019 I guess.

emmsie69 · Top national player

It's something that really frustrates me too. Annoying for Katie but it's even worse for the poor qualifier that has battled through only to draw her. I think it's really rude of players of her calabre but then I thought Andy was bang out of order entering challengers aswell.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Often it's the tournament that begs the player to do so.

They really want Kanepi (or whoever) to give them some visibility with spectators and local sponsors and whatever.

I agree it's frustrating but the authorities need to have rules - no top 200 player to enter an ITF 15k or whatever. Very simple. They have them for certain categories.

Otherwise, although it's really irritating for the others, it's approved and I quite understand tournaments wanting it, and players doing it, when it suits.

Barefoot · Lower Club Player

Kanepi loves an ITF, I believe she schedules for the easiest possible points to make it into the slam draws (and then tends to do ok in said slams). No fun for the players who actually are playing ITF level though.

Miriambee · Futures level

I have just looked at the Linz list which she's on. As Linz starts Friday, even if they play the 1st round over 2 days, if she gets through to the final here, even playing that on Saturday how will she get to Linz in time?

the addict · Tennis legend

Miriambee wrote:
I have just looked at the Linz list which she's on. As Linz starts Friday, even if they play the 1st round over 2 days, if she gets through to the final here, even playing that on Saturday how will she get to Linz in time?

Kanepi is in the main draw, according to tennisteen, so with a 16 qualifying draw on Friday and Saturday, she probably wouldn't have to play until Monday if the organisers agree.

I had a look in the rulebooks, and it appears that at present the only restrictions on entry into ITF tournaments are that top ten players cannot enter any ITF events, not even W100.

DF · Tennis legend

Kanepi is out of Linz (Dartrankings)

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

I would be very happy for there to be quite strict exclusion rules against top players playing in modest ITF events, but for there to be an exemption to the rule for home players.

Especially in countries where tennis has a relatively low profile, I think it's 100% normal for the event to want to have the draw of the country's top player, and for players to want to take part to give something back - and that benefits tennis in that country, and overall.

But this could be simply a domestic exception.

Nix · Futures level

Coup Droit wrote:
I would be very happy for there to be quite strict exclusion rules against top players playing in modest ITF events, but for there to be an exemption to the rule for home players.

Especially in countries where tennis has a relatively low profile, I think it's 100% normal for the event to want to have the draw of the country's top player, and for players to want to take part to give something back - and that benefits tennis in that country, and overall.

But this could be simply a domestic exception.

I agree, and maybe there would also need to be an exemption for people coming back from long term injury. But home players might have to be state related for the US, for example, as it would otherwise give the US players an advantage, as there's almost always an ITF event somewhere in the States.

Peter too · Tennis legend

Swan *5-2
Boulter 1-0*

Lambda · Challenger level

the addict wrote:

Miriambee wrote:
I have just looked at the Linz list which she's on. As Linz starts Friday, even if they play the 1st round over 2 days, if she gets through to the final here, even playing that on Saturday how will she get to Linz in time?
Kanepi is in the main draw, according to tennisteen, so with a 16 qualifying draw on Friday and Saturday, she probably wouldn't have to play until Monday if the organisers agree.
I had a look in the rulebooks, and it appears that at present the only restrictions on entry into ITF tournaments are that top ten players cannot enter any ITF events, not even W100.

It is ridiculous that players ranked 11 to 50 can enter ITF events but cannot enter a 125K except with a WC. It really needs looking at