2024 Olympic Tennis - Andrew Murray message board (2024)

JonH comes home wrote:

This is how the ITF describe this slam/olympic winner rule

2.Gold medallist/Grand Slam champion

Two places are available in each singles draw for any athlete who has previously won an Olympic gold medal in singles or a Grand Slam singles title that has not qualified by direct acceptance, provided they are ranked in the Top 400 and dont push their NOC quota over that magic four-athlete threshold.

If more than two athletes meet these criteria, the place will be offered to the player(s) with the highest number of titles (with a gold medal representing one title). If two players have the same number of titles, the place will be given to the higher-ranked player on 10 June.

So, Andy would have 3 slam titles and 2 olympic gold titles ie 5 and I dont think anyone out there beats that.

Emma has just 1 - I think someone elsewhere said there are quite a few women who theoretically could top that tally and push Emma well down. I guess it is a theoretical possibility if no one else who qualifies by this method "enters" ,but it seems unlikely. Again, people like Lambda and Vicman are a lot closer to this detail than me!

Yeah, Im just thinking that other players who meet the slam criteria may already be high enough in the rankings to be selected if that makes sense.

So I'll put my neck on the line, but happy for it to be torn apart if wrong. I think the list of gold medalists and grand slam winners not a direct entry on current ranking are Kerber, Osaka, Kenin, Stephens, Wozniacki, Radacanu, Andreescu, Halep and Bencic. Halep isn't high enough ranked to be considered. Bencic is on maternity leave. Kerber, Osaka and Andreescu may be accepted directly on their SR. Kenin and Stephens cannot be selected as that would push USA over the 4 singles player quota. Leaving, unless I've missed someone, Wozniacki and Emma to have the 2 places but it's dependent on Kerber, Osaka and possibly Andreescu being accepted directly on their SR.

Lambda wrote:

So I'll put my neck on the line, but happy for it to be torn apart if wrong. I think the list of gold medalists and grand slam winners not a direct entry on current ranking are Kerber, Osaka, Kenin, Stephens, Wozniacki, Radacanu, Andreescu, Halep and Bencic. Halep isn't high enough ranked to be considered. Bencic is on maternity leave. Kerber, Osaka and Andreescu may be accepted directly on their SR. Kenin and Stephens cannot be selected as that would push USA over the 4 singles player quota. Leaving, unless I've missed someone, Wozniacki and Emma to have the 2 places but it's dependent on Kerber, Osaka and possibly Andreescu being accepted directly on their SR.

Ok, so it isn't such a long shot?! Although whether Emma would go for clay again after grass and before hard court, would be interesting. Although I would say the Olympic experience could do her some good, to be honest.

Lambda wrote:

So I'll put my neck on the line, but happy for it to be torn apart if wrong. I think the list of gold medalists and grand slam winners not a direct entry on current ranking are Kerber, Osaka, Kenin, Stephens, Wozniacki, Radacanu, Andreescu, Halep and Bencic. Halep isn't high enough ranked to be considered. Bencic is on maternity leave. Kerber, Osaka and Andreescu may be accepted directly on their SR. Kenin and Stephens cannot be selected as that would push USA over the 4 singles player quota. Leaving, unless I've missed someone, Wozniacki and Emma to have the 2 places but it's dependent on Kerber, Osaka and possibly Andreescu being accepted directly on their SR.

Yes that's correct Lambda.

x.com/stu_fraser/status/1800639861386276897

Fraser confirming Joe and Neal will team up, leaving Evo and Andy to try and get in. Andy not sure hed play singles if that is all hes going for.

JonH comes home wrote:

x.com/stu_fraser/status/1800639861386276897

Fraser confirming Joe and Neal will team up, leaving Evo and Andy to try and get in. Andy not sure hed play singles if that is all hes going for.

Am sure Stuart has his sources, but this all feels very messy. Appreciate GB is in an almost unique situation of having of 4 singles players, but even more world class doubles players, but surely this should be about sending your strongest team.

Personally I think both Evans/Skupski (combined ranking 74) and Evans/Murray (singles priority) would get in, but I could of course be wrong.

But if Andy isn't confident in his form, he could of course choose not to play at all, which would give GB the option of picking a third doubles specialist. You could of argue that two singles players and four doubles specialists would be the most competitive team.

That said, I think Murray in particular but also Evans have earned the right to compete and been exceptional servants to GB, and are strong doubles players, but neither has really played doubles this year so I've no sense of their form.

Ultimately the LTA won't want to risk Skupski not getting in so think they'll go with Stuart's suggestions.

I hope both Murray and Evo go for singles and think they will; I think Andy will find it hard to resist as will Evo and both of them, given their ages and Andy's retirement plans, won't get the chance to play an Olympics again.

I think the Olympics is all about medal chances as opposed to anything else - Joe and Neal clearly offer the best medal chance, I would say, given Andy and Dan's form in singles and in doubles has been poor. Mind you, Neal isnt doing so great recently! Nonetheless, if Joe and the selectors think him playing with Neal is the best medal chance, then they should go with that and leave the rest to sort it out - as you say, Dan and Andy deserve the singles chance so if they want those slots should take them; if Andy decides not to play singles because they wont get into the doubles , then Dan will probably stand a better chance of getting into the doubles with Jamie, Lloyd, Julian or Henry? Not sure where cut off would be so presumably he would have to start as high up as possible ie Jamie?

Again, I dont know if that is doable but the starting point probably needs to be medal chances and go from there?

9vicman wrote:

JonH comes home wrote:

x.com/stu_fraser/status/1800639861386276897

Fraser confirming Joe and Neal will team up, leaving Evo and Andy to try and get in. Andy not sure hed play singles if that is all hes going for.

Am sure Stuart has his sources, but this all feels very messy. Appreciate GB is in an almost unique situation of having of 4 singles players, but even more world class doubles players, but surely this should be about sending your strongest team.

Personally I think both Evans/Skupski (combined ranking 74) and Evans/Murray (singles priority) would get in, but I could of course be wrong.

But if Andy isn't confident in his form, he could of course choose not to play at all, which would give GB the option of picking a third doubles specialist. You could of argue that two singles players and four doubles specialists would be the most competitive team.

That said, I think Murray in particular but also Evans have earned the right to compete and been exceptional servants to GB, and are strong doubles players, but neither has really played doubles this year so I've no sense of their form.

Ultimately the LTA won't want to risk Skupski not getting in so think they'll go with Stuart's suggestions.

Stuart expands on his tweet in today's Times.

JonH comes home wrote:

I hope both Murray and Evo go for singles and think they will; I think Andy will find it hard to resist as will Evo and both of them, given their ages and Andy's retirement plans, won't get the chance to play an Olympics again.

I think the Olympics is all about medal chances as opposed to anything else - Joe and Neal clearly offer the best medal chance, I would say, given Andy and Dan's form in singles and in doubles has been poor. Mind you, Neal isnt doing so great recently! Nonetheless, if Joe and the selectors think him playing with Neal is the best medal chance, then they should go with that and leave the rest to sort it out - as you say, Dan and Andy deserve the singles chance so if they want those slots should take them; if Andy decides not to play singles because they wont get into the doubles , then Dan will probably stand a better chance of getting into the doubles with Jamie, Lloyd, Julian or Henry? Not sure where cut off would be so presumably he would have to start as high up as possible ie Jamie?

Again, I dont know if that is doable but the starting point probably needs to be medal chances and go from there?

Without going into the weeds, if Evans and Murray are nominated and not accepted, Evans won't be allowed to enter with another partner. That said I can't see any pair with two singles players not getting in somehow.

Lambda wrote:

So I'll put my neck on the line, but happy for it to be torn apart if wrong. I think the list of gold medalists and grand slam winners not a direct entry on current ranking are Kerber, Osaka, Kenin, Stephens, Wozniacki, Radacanu, Andreescu, Halep and Bencic. Halep isn't high enough ranked to be considered. Bencic is on maternity leave. Kerber, Osaka and Andreescu may be accepted directly on their SR. Kenin and Stephens cannot be selected as that would push USA over the 4 singles player quota. Leaving, unless I've missed someone, Wozniacki and Emma to have the 2 places but it's dependent on Kerber, Osaka and possibly Andreescu being accepted directly on their SR.

The ITF have included Osaka on the list of eligible players that can be selected for singles. It isn't clear from the reports whether that is because of her special ranking or because of being a former Grand Slam winner. The reports mention both but being a GS winner becomes irrelevant if she's eligible on her SR.

"The International Tennis Federation cleared her to compete in Paris by awarding her a special ranking for players who have been away from the tour, the JTA said.
She also qualifies as a former Grand Slam winner, the JTA said."

There have clearly been things lost in translation. The ITF don't award a SR but they would have had to give her an exemption for not meeting the eligibility criteria of having represented Japan in the BJK Cup twice during the qualifying period. I wonder if that's what they mean by cleared by awarding a special ranking?

Lambda wrote:

Lambda wrote:

So I'll put my neck on the line, but happy for it to be torn apart if wrong. I think the list of gold medalists and grand slam winners not a direct entry on current ranking are Kerber, Osaka, Kenin, Stephens, Wozniacki, Radacanu, Andreescu, Halep and Bencic. Halep isn't high enough ranked to be considered. Bencic is on maternity leave. Kerber, Osaka and Andreescu may be accepted directly on their SR. Kenin and Stephens cannot be selected as that would push USA over the 4 singles player quota. Leaving, unless I've missed someone, Wozniacki and Emma to have the 2 places but it's dependent on Kerber, Osaka and possibly Andreescu being accepted directly on their SR.

The ITF have included Osaka on the list of eligible players that can be selected for singles. It isn't clear from the reports whether that is because of her special ranking or because of being a former Grand Slam winner. The reports mention both but being a GS winner becomes irrelevant if she's eligible on her SR.

"The International Tennis Federation cleared her to compete in Paris by awarding her a special ranking for players who have been away from the tour, the JTA said.
She also qualifies as a former Grand Slam winner, the JTA said."

There have clearly been things lost in translation. The ITF don't award a SR but they would have had to give her an exemption for not meeting the eligibility criteria of having represented Japan in the BJK Cup twice during the qualifying period. I wonder if that's what they mean by cleared by awarding a special ranking?

A very confused article. Osaka would be eligible to use her Special Ranking, but can also receive an ITF Place. We'll find out in due course which she used.