By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Thursday, June 27, 2024Picture credit score: Rob Newell/Digital camera Sport
Wimbledon girls wild playing cards will likely be dumped from the deck throughout week one, ESPN analyst Patrick McEnroe asserts.
4 of the eight Wimbledon women’ wild card recipients—2018 Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber, Naomi Osaka, Briton Emma Raducanu and Caroline Wozniacki—are former Grand Slam champions. Osaka, Kerber and Wozniacki every returned to the professional Tour after giving beginning.
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Two-time Wimbledon quarterfinalist Ajla Tomljanovic was awarded a Wimbledon wild card after her run to the Birmingham ultimate final week. 4 British girls—Francesca Jones, Yuriko Lily Miyazaki, Heather Watson and Raducanu—acquired main-draw wild playing cards.
In a Zoom name with the media to advertise ESPN’s Wimbledon protection beginning Monday, July 1st, Tennis Now requested ESPN analysts Patrick McEnroe and Chrissie Evert if any of the Wimbledon wild playing cards, or former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu, who does not have a wild card however is an all-court hazard when wholesome, are able to making a second-week run at The Championships.
McEnroe stated he does not see it taking place for quite a lot of causes, together with what he calls an absence of selection grass-court tennis requires.
McEnroe says Osaka performs a straight-forward power-based baseline sport. He factors to Wozniacki and Kerber’s struggles since returning to the Tour after giving beginning, although Wozniack beat 2023 Wimbledon semifinalist Elina Svitolina to achieve the Dangerous Homburg quarterfinals this week. McEnroe suggests neither Raducanu, who toppled world No. 5 Jessica Pegula on Eastbourne’s grass yesterday for her first High 10 profession win, nor Andreescu, who pushed French Open finalist Jasmine Paolini to 3 units in her first occasion again at Roland Garros then defeated Osaka en path to the ‘s-Hertogenbosch ultimate on grass, possess sufficient selection for a second-week Wimbledon run.
“It’s extremely uncommon you see somebody play straight-ahead tennis and be capable to win Wimbledon, notably now because the gamers have simply gotten higher,” McEnroe advised Tennis Now throughout ESPN’s Zoom name. “It is extra of a backcourt sport. There’s extra slice, extra selection.
“That is a brief manner of me saying that I do not assume any of these girls could make a giant run at Wimbledon.”
Corridor of Famer Chrissie Evert says she’s a believer in Raducanu’s sport and says the 2021 US Open champion can experience a house wave of help at SW19.
“Emma has such glorious, like, basis and fundamentals, that little or no can go flawed in her sport as a result of she is so strong,” Evert advised Tennis Now. “I feel the accidents, the stress of successful the US Open, has actually saved her from enhancing much more so.
“She’s extra mature proper now. She’s overcome adversity and gotten stronger. She appears to be completely satisfied and having fun with her tennis. I for one am trying ahead to watching her at Wimbledon.”
After all, only a few of us have first-hand expertise dealing with a Grand Slam champion wild card on a Grand Slam stage as Patrick McEnroe does.
US Open followers effectively keep in mind Patrick McEnroe constructing a two-sets to like lead over a then 174th-ranked wild card Jimmy Connors earlier than the flamable Connors erupted for a 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 comeback win within the Flushing Meadows first spherical sparking his spectacular 1991 US Open semifinal run at age 39.
We have seen flashes of inspiring type from each Osaka and Andreescu this season.
In Paris final month, Osaka constructed a 5-2 third-set lead over reigning Roland Garros champion Iga Swiatek and held match level. A cussed Swiatek fought off a match level within the third set of their second-round assembly earlier than battling again to finish a comeback 7-6(1), 1-6, 7-5 victory over the four-time main champion Osaka.
Nonetheless, McEnroe factors to the actual fact Osaka has by no means surpassed the third spherical at Wimbledon, has not performed The Championships since 2019 and has conceded she feels extra comfy on clay than grass as indicators she is going to wrestle at SW19 although he says she will problem on the US Open.
“In addition to Osaka performed on the French, and I feel she will play nice on the US Open, for instance, the place it is a typical bounce, she’s gained 4 laborious courtroom majors, I do not assume she has the flexibility to make a giant, large run,” McEnroe advised Tennis Now. “Similar with Raducanu, a minimum of at Wimbledon.
“Wozniacki, her comeback has not been nice from a sure standpoint. She’s aggressive, however she’s not successful a number of matches.”
On the subject of versatility, few girls can match Andreescu, who performed slice forehands, slice backhands, moon balls and drop pictures, all within the area of at two-game span, toppling Osaka on grass earlier this month.
Bear in mind, final summer season Andreescu pushed Wimbledon finalist and world No. 6 Ons Jabeur to 3 units within the Wimbledon third spherical earlier than the Tunisian prevailed, 6-4, within the third set and went on to her second straight ultimate.
McEnroe says the shortage of match play and confidence will likely be street blocks to an Andreescu Wimbledon run.
“Andreescu possibly has probably the most versatility of these gamers that I simply talked about, however I simply do not assume has the idea and the arrogance now that she will make a giant run,” McEnroe stated. “I would be shocked if any a kind of gamers make the second week of Wimbledon on the ladies’s facet.”
