indiana wrote:

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Var wrote:

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Im just pondering, is there a different perspective on this other than just rankings? Should a WC or two go to those players who have improved the most in the last calendar year regardless of ranking?

-- Edited by Var on Thursday 6th of June 2024 07:33:53 AM

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 To me, not if they clearly have less chance of managing wins as a WC. As we have shown in this discussion, this year with us just having 2 DEs and the former winners around, we haven't got much leeway and I suggest definitely not for improvement 'rewards' unless more deserved by the level they have now reached. Rankings are a fairly blunt instrument but do generally give good indications of more likely contenders.

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Yes fairpoint. Just worried some of our younger players havent transitioned that well, so just thinking how we could support them, a bit more. Especially those who arent LTA favoured and tend to have a really difficult challenge to progress.  

Reading everyone's comments on the wildcards, having just returned from lengthy travels in Japan, I am intrigued to see that everyone assumes that Jodie B will get one. Is she fit again now - I checked on the WTA website before I posted this, but it looks as if the last time she played a competitive match was in March, and I thought that she announced injuries and was facing a long spell on the sidelines.

To be crystal clear, if Jodie B is fit, then very obviously she should have a wildcard, as along with Emma, she is our best Brit needing one - I agree with others that Heather, Lily and Fran have strong cases, but with Kerber, Osaka, Venus Williams, Halep and Wozniaki needing one, the Wimbledon committee face some really tough decisions. Last year they broke with previous decisions and didn't grant Wickmayer one, after she won one of the pre-Wimbledon events, and I do have a feeling that given the high ranking and calibre of our top players and the top overseas players requesting one, that no-one who wins a pre-Wimbledon event will be given a main draw wildcard this year.

Anyway I will be interested to hear from anyone who knows whether Jodie B will be fit for Wimbledon. Let's hope so. I agree with Crispy and others about Fran - I'd love to see her get a wildcard and hope she somehow does get one.

It's going to be tough for Sonay, Amarni and Katy D, plus Hannah and the other youngsters - in other years, they might well have been in contention for main draw wildcards, but this year no chance I think to get a MD wildcard. I have a feeling that the committee are not certain to give Venus Williams or Simone Halep one - Venus because she got one last year and is now way past her best, and Simone because although she was cleared of intentionally doping, she was found guilty of not paying enough attention to the supplements she was taking, and was therefore deemed reckless rather than a cheat - but even to be found guilty of that is a serious charge and I think the committee will bear that in mind when making some very difficult decisions this year.

-- Edited by Andy Parker on Thursday 6th of June 2024 12:56:26 PM

The seedings are out for the West Worthing Premier event.  This is the Pre Pre Qualifying for Wimbledon - so the winner of this tournament gets a WC into the pre-qualifying event.  It gives an indication of who will get into the other events.

In the ladies, the top seed is Ranah Stoiber and second seed is Allice Gillan.

I cant remember the number is pre-qualifying, but assuming it is 8, this would result in an entry for:

Emily Appleton

Sarah Beth Grey

Eden Silva

Katie Swan

Anna Brogan

Naiktha Bains

Mika Stojsavelic

West Worthing winner

 

This makes Qualifying WCs for:

Amarni Banks

Fran Jones

Sonay Kartal

Katie Dunne

Hannah Klugman

Mimi Xu

Pre-Quali winner 1

Pre-Quali winner 2

 

and then WC to the main draw for:

Jodie Burrage

Yuriko Miyazaki

Heather Watson

Emma Raducanu

with 4 spare places for other players.

 

Yeah but Anna Brogan hasn't been seen in months.

It's 10 DA to the play-offs, the winner of West Worthing, the top 2 in the junior rankings at 19 June (or 3rd junior if either of the top 2 are the Junior Nat Champ), the top NCAA ranked player that signs in, and 2 discretionary WCs. Any of the pre-defined WCs that are not needed revert back to a discretionary WC.

Ah thanks Lambda - a rehash is needed with greater numbers involved.  I note in the men, Mark Ceban has entered West Worthing but is a WC at 42 out of a 48 draw for qualifying!