Doesn't this feel gloomy? Just a single direct entry into a 15K?
Partly, but also because so many of them have entered aussie open, so it's good that likes of Goodall, Marray etc have now moved past 15k Futures, but sadly no-one seems to be following in behind.
What's Jamie Baker doing at the start of the year, wasnt in the aussie open list I saw and also not here?
What's Jamie Baker doing at the start of the year, wasnt in the aussie open list I saw and also not here?
The ALTs list for qualies only goes down as far as 313 on steveg, and Jamie's at 315: Looks like he'll be playing futures that week, or getting ready for the Challengers in week 2.
Kasiri will be playing here. I'd like to see him get a wildcard, he's been out for so long with this shoulder injury. He's now working with Mike Raphael and Mike says that Miles' aim for 2007 will be to get inside the top 500 and that'll be a good base to work from. However, I kind of doubt that he'll get a wildcard as he's not exactly on friendly terms with the LTA
I'd also like to see Slabba get a wildcard, imo he's a better player than Rushby, Flanagan or Kennaugh. However, I doubt he'll get one, may work out for the best in some ways as going through qualifying would give him some match practise which will be an advantage as guys in the main draw will be playing their first match of 2007.
Going by performances in Australia, Eaton ought to get a wildcard over Kennaugh. However, LTA will probably go by rankings
Doesn't this feel gloomy? Just a single direct entry into a 15K?
Partly, but also because so many of them have entered aussie open, so it's good that likes of Goodall, Marray etc have now moved past 15k Futures, but sadly no-one seems to be following in behind.
What's Jamie Baker doing at the start of the year, wasnt in the aussie open list I saw and also not here?
Yeah we do have less players in the 300-500 range with quite a few retiring or becoming doubles specialists in the past year. However, as Bladetiger says, on the plus side we have more players between 100 and 330, competing in challengers.
In the futures, once the likes of Bloomfield, Goodall, Mackin etc moved up to challenger level it was always going to leave something of a gap. We now have to wait and see if the next level of players - the likes of Rushby, Slabba, Phillips, Ward, Kennaugh, Kasiri, Eaton etc can make that jump. It's going to be interesting to see which of those players makes the greatest headway over the next 12 months. If Kasiri can stay fit, I reckon he could be one to watch.
I'd love to see Kasiri make a run. He did so well as a junior at Timbledon and must have the game. If he can just control what is taking place between his ears he could get on an amazing run.