The long overdue (no staking) tennis betting and discussion thread

[Enut]

It is very rare to see someone with a worse service toss than me but she manages it.
I agree, someone dropped the ball letting her in and depriving someone else of a place.

[bergeroo]

The story is there was nobody else there. The other player would have had a bye otherwise.

Still hope for me to play a pro tennis tournament!

[tikay]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/articles/c62v5pym2emo

[Doobs]

Egyptian tennis star update. 
https://x.com/i/status/2010369519911608742

[Ironside]

Saw the butcher win last night in Dallas, started the week around 180 mark, a win tonight against Cillic and he'll be into top 120

[Jamier-Host]

Did anyone else get Wimbledon tickets or any others?  Got first day centre court in the advantage ballot and got some decent tickets for the women's semis at Queen's.  Never been to the latter, and might have a spare as my wife has a double booking.

Took my son overnight camping 2024 and it was great fun. Last did it 20+ years ago having to sleep on the pavement, whereas nowadays it's all stewards sorting you in rows of tents in the park and various amenities available.

Bagged centre court too. Got there lunchtime Saturday for the (middle) Sunday action.

[Doobs]

Just a quick update before Wimbledon.

Kartal is out for the grass season.  Raducanu has suffered through illness for a couple of months, but is due to play Queen's next week.  There were rumours she'd play Birmingham in the Telegraph, but it didn't happen.  Hoping she flies now she is back with Richardson.

Going to start with Birmingham, as I think they got the women's wild cards exactly right.  Swan has come back with a few ITF tournament wins.  Dart seems to have put last year's unfortunate event behind her, and is now playing well.  You could argue Stojsavljevic or Xu, but Mika has the more recent form. Alicia Dudeney has come off US college tennis and won about 5 ITFs (something people expected.Radjecki to do), and fully deserves her place (must have won close to 80% of her matches?  Give all these five wild cards for Wimbledon and think Fran Jones gets in automatically, so doesn't need one. 

There has been talk of Serena getting a wild card after doubles at Queen's.  Also assume Klugman gets one, as she did last year.  Not sure she deserves one as she is ranked about the same level as 18 months ago.  Maybe one more goes to Burrage over Watson, though not sure either should either. Will see how they do before Wimbledon.  Don't think any of them can have complaints if we only have 5 GB players with main draw wild cards (would put Burrage in above others, Watson hasn't shown anything for 3/4 years.

Men is much tougher to get a wildcard.  Jan Choinski scraped into the main draw on ranking, and Draper gets in as it was decided before he lost this week's points.

Definites must be Pinnington Jones, Fery, Samuel, Harris and Fearnley.  Think a few others have got lucky with Draper and Choinski's main draw appearances or they would be fighting for one spot.

Think you must give one Dan Evans as was near the top quite recently. Felix Gill maybe, as a solid improved, if not more a clay courter.  They gave a wild card to Tarvet in Birmingham, which felt a bit random. Crawford has just won a challenger.  Wendelken has been really solid. Broady hasn't done enough?  Could be any 3 from 10 though, so a good run by any of them in Birmingham, Nottingham or Ilkley could see any of them in.  Am assuming it is unlikely any of them get through qualifying and a couple of rounds at Queen's.

Think Searle must miss out even if he is a bit of a golden boy.

Don't know if any ex-champions are asking for a wildcard this time.

[Doobs]

Think the results have shown the Birmingham wildcards were right.

There is an interesting situation for Wimbledon.  Chwalinska has come through qualifying to the French Open semis.  So if she gets a wildcard, she will be seeded for Wimbledon.  If she doesn't, she has to come through qualifying.  That is clearly absurd, and given we don't really have 8 deserving women players, then she should get a wildcard.

So women's wild cards will look something like Serena, Chwalinska, Xu, Stojsavljevic, Dudeney, Swan and Dart.

Assuming Jones gets in the main draw automatically, think we have Burrage, Watson and Klugman fighting for one wildcard.  Think it is likely Watson misses her first main draw since 2010 (ignoring COVID).  Don't see how you'd put Watson over the 5 Brits above, unless she can go deep in a tournament in the next couple of weeks.

[Doobs]

Stojsavljevic got 19 aces in her win today.  Think she has sailed past the other two young ones and is still only 17.  She is already over 6 foot, and don't know if she is still growing. Hopefully will get to see her and Serena at Queen's, but more likely at Wimbledon as am there day 1.

 Going to have to start backing her with more confidence.