US Open Wildcards - Men

[Isaac Lawrence]

Hey, does anyone know the order of play for the Open this year?

I ask because I only have time to go one day during the first week and I really wanted to see Donald Young play in person. I am going to the Men's quarters on the second Thursday, however.

Anyway, I checked the draw and saw that he was in the bottom half, and that his first-round match was against a qualifier; and so I'm assuming this means that he'll more than likely be on an outside court. (No "Scofield Jenkins/Andy Roddick on Arthur Ashe at night" for Young.)

Does anyone know, though: who's playing when? Maybe Federer and the top half on Monday, and then Nadal and Agassi and Roddick and the rest of the bottom half on Tuesday?

 

[Bora]

Interesting. 3 of 8 wildcards go to Atlanta Georgia area pros (Jenkins, Young and Reynolds). A real tennis hotbed!

Yeah, and 2 of them are playing Nadal in the first 2 rounds. Yikes! At least Scoville has a better draw than last year.

 

[Kevin Patrick]

Isaac,
due to Super Saturday, the 1st round is played over 3 days. No idea when Young would play(prob not Monday, top half starts that day)

 

[callitout]

It wasn't Sco's Mustang, it belonged to someone else. Name escapes me, but I know for sure it wasn't Sco.

Good to hear Alex may be ready to play again. The early estimates were that he would be out for a year, so I'm gald that he's ahead of the curve a little bit.

Alex father Yuri teaches my neice and thats the story I got from her...but its 3rd hand to me and 4th hand to you so Im willing to believe that it wasnt sco's car...in any case there was no wrong doing. Sorry if I started or contributed to a false rumor. Supposedly Alex is doing well and is out hitting and moving well. So good luck to him. He had enough potential that PMac picked him to be the junior member of the Davis cup team as hitting partner a couple of times.

 

[Fee]

Its no big deal really, Sco's dad told me the story so that's the only way I know. It might have been Phil Simmonds car (another young, Black player), but even that I can't say for sure. The whole thing was kind of stunning to me so some of the details slipped (apparently a couple of other players saw the whole thing happen).

BTW, Donald Young isn't really from the Atlanta area, he just lives and works out there now (for the last year or so). I think he's originally from Chicago.

 

[Isaac Lawrence]

BTW, Donald Young isn't really from the Atlanta area, he just lives and works out there now (for the last year or so). I think he's originally from Chicago.

Right. That's where he hit with McEnroe when he was 12 (or 10, or somewhere around there), at a senior's event in Chicago.

Isaac,
due to Super Saturday, the 1st round is played over 3 days. No idea when Young would play(prob not Monday, top half starts that day)

Yeah, I had forgotten about that 3-day first round thing. Thanks.

I hope he plays on Tuesday, because I don't know if I can make there on Wednesday.

Heh. I gotta see this kid play.

 

[Yours!05]

Scud wildcard

So this is how it happened.
http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,16399824-23216,00.html


Swap secured Scud wildcard
By Paul Malone
August 27, 2005

A US OPEN source said last night Mark Philippoussis was given his Flushing Meadows wildcard last week after Tennis Australia guaranteed an American man would be granted a 2006 Australian Open wildcard.

As Australia had only two men, Lleyton Hewitt and Wayne Arthurs, as direct entries for the US Open, TA decided it should seek a career lifeline for Philippoussis, who is No. 208 in the world.

US Open spokesman Chris Widmeyer said the US Tennis Association did not explain wildcard allocations.

Wildcards have to be requested by players and it is not known whether the idea to swap grand slam wildcards came from TA, the USTA or the Philippoussis camp.

"One of the things we look for in the wildcards is someone who can add prestige to the tournament and there is no question Mark fits that category," Widmeyer said.

"He is a popular player here and New Yorkers enjoy his style of muscular play."

Grand slam wildcards are mostly reserved by host nations to blood junior players or reward other worthy recipients.

It is understood the swap is a one-off arrangement.

Philippoussis, who has not won an ATP match since Wimbledon, will have to hit a lot of balls to beat tough Slovakian Karol Kucera in his first-round match.

Philippoussis was not sighted at Flushing Meadows yesterday, but practised there on Wednesday.


Fellow Victorian Peter Luczak, trying to make the main draw the hard way, was a tenacious winner yesterday in the second round of qualifying, defeating Chilean Adrian Garcia 7-5 4-6 6-2. Luczak, 25, today faces Brazilian Thiago Alves, ranked No.175, for a place in the main draw.

Luczak, ranked No.188, said a stint as a hitting partner for Hewitt in Cincinnati last week and the experience of his Davis Cup debut against Argentina last month, had helped him remain resolute against the baseline game of Garcia.

"I watched Lleyton beat Greg Rusedski in Cincinnati when he didn't play well in the first set and just hung in to find a way to win. That's what I tried to do today," Luczak said.

"The last couple of weeks I've been working hard on my fitness. I'm not the fastest guy around, so I have to work hard to run well. "He (Garcia) was cramping and a bit tired in the third and I knew if I just hung in there I should be able to get him."

 

[littlelleyton]

They might, hadn't noticed. But that is still their decision and has no bearing on any other slam.

well i guess your wrong about that one then Fee huh?

 

[Kevin Patrick]

Murray just qualified for the Open, def Lapentti 6-0, 7-6

This whole "swapping" wildcards deal is a relatively new occurence. I don't think the USTA has ever done it before. The Australian & French Open started doing this only recently. I understood all the USTA's wilcards, except Flipper's. He's a name player, but not that big that they would take it away from an American.

Just looked up the US Open's wildcards of recent years:

'04 US
Delic, A. (USA )
Ram, R. (USA )
Bogomolov Jr., A. (USA )
Baker, B. (USA )
Reynolds, B. (USA )
Jenkins, S. (USA )
Odesnik, W. (USA )
Hippensteel, K. (USA )

'03 US
Morrison, J. (USA )
Kim, A. (USA )
Chang, M. (USA )
Yim, R. (USA )
Baker, B. (USA )
Delic, A. (USA )
Kendrick, R. (USA )
Bogomolov Jr., A. (USA )

'02 US
Vahaly, B. (USA )
Bogomolov Jr., A. (USA )
Boeker, M. (USA )
Fish, M. (USA )
Gimelstob, J. (USA )
Brasington, J. (USA )
Amritraj, P. (IND )

 

[Fee]

well i guess your wrong about that one then Fee huh?

No, not at all. Let's look at the original conversation in its proper context, shall we?

>>>>
Yeah but doesn't the Australian give a wc to the highest ranked Asian player who isn't in the draw also ? Part of their marketing the tournament as the Pacific Slam.... (atatu, post #32 of this thread)

They might, hadn't noticed. But that is still their decision and has no bearing on any other slam. (Fee, post #33)
>>>>>

Hmm, looks like my original comment that the Aus Open's decision to give a wildcard to an Asian player has no bearing on any other slam is still correct. As for the existence of a trade between the USTA and the Aus Open for Flip's WC, I hadn't commented on that possibility before. So now we know what happened, reportedly, and it makes a heck of a lot more sense to me. It also gives me great hope that Jan-Mike will get a WC for the Aus in January (of course, I'm kidding ).

Nice try, but we all know that quoting some so enormously out of context is a sign of desperation. I'm going to put you back on my ignore list. Have a good night.

Kevin, I think that P Armitraj WC in '02 may have been the Kalamazoo or the NCAA WC.

 

[gugafanatic]

The French federation and the Aussie federation have a formal agreement to trade one wildcard in each draw every year and that's it. The USTA does what it wants and the All England Club does what it wants.

Well your wrong it appears. You also rejected my arguement that Murray deserved a WC for the US Open after the LTA had earlier gaven Blake a WC in Wimbledon.

 

[Fee]

No, I'm still not wrong. The USTA does what it wants, and in the case of Mark P, they wanted to do a formal WC trade agreement. At the time I wrote that post, there was no announced agreement between the USTA and any other Federation. I would love to see that happen amongst all of the Slams though, if only to see an American WC at Roland Garros.

I rejected the argument that the USTA 'owed' the LTA for Blake's wildcard (and that isn't just your argument, by the way, many people have said that) simply because Blake's wildcard wasn't done through or by the USTA. James went to the LTA on his own and asked for it, the USTA did not ask for it and offer a trade in return. James is the one who 'owes' the LTA a favor, not the USTA.

I agree that Murray has had impressive results this summer and that he could have a very bright future if he can improve his conditioning and whatever else (never seen him play, sorry). But, as Kevin's post shows, the USTA gives WC to American players, that's just the reality of it.

If anybody else would like to misquote me or whatever, please hurry. I'm leaving for NYC early Saturday and I may not have much 'net acess for a week or so. And yes, I would like to see Murray play, now that he's qualified (and I really hope he draws Donald Young, kill two birds with one stone).

 

[littlelleyton]

wait a minute fee for a start what desperation????, your the first to jump down anybodys throat to point out there wrong can you not take it back? how is it out of context??? before you start going any further with the defensive bit about blake and the LTA, Murray WC debate, can you please tell me anywhere that I have said anything that has contradicted what you have said all along??? have you read my posts? i dont think you have. i have been one of the people that have praised the USTA for their choice to give US players a chance, but i guess you just failed to take that in.

you directly said that the USTA decision had no bearing on any other event. again how am i taking this out of context?? well this is clearly wrong as the USTA and Mark P and TA have clearly come to an agreement. course they have the right to do this and good for him and them. glad that more young players will get the experience down under.

you are so quick to put people down on here and be high and mighty. you contribute great info but please put me on your ignore list as you clearly cant talk about a subject without being a child and going in the huff because i said one thing to you.

 

[callitout]

I would like to see Murray play, now that he's qualified (and I really hope he draws Donald Young, kill two birds with one stone).

Me too. DY would be lucky to get a set unless Murray is worn out or injured from qualies.