Birmingham wild card for Sharapova
Турнир в Бирмингеме приглашает Марию Шарапову и дает ей WC.
Stuart Fraser, Tennis Writer
May 9 2017, 12:01am,
The Times
Maria Sharapova will be awarded a wild card by the Lawn Tennis Association to play this summer at the Aegon Classic in Birmingham.
Having returned from a 15-month doping suspension last month, Sharapova’s ranking of 258 was too low to gain direct entry for the grass-court event in time for yesterday’s deadline. The Russian will still be able to compete at the Edgbaston Priory Club next month, however, because organisers will give her one of the four available wild cards.
Awarding a slot in the main draw to a player who is still working her way back up the rankings after failing a drugs test is a move that will court controversy, but The Times understands that Michael Downey, who will leave his role as chief executive of the LTA at the end of June, gave his seal of approval.
The tournament, which runs from June 17 to 25, will receive a boost in ticket sales and media interest from having a player of the stature of Sharapova, a five-times grand-slam champion, taking part. She won in Birmingham in 2004 — before going on to win Wimbledon at the age of 17 — and 2005, although her most recent appearance at the event was in 2010.
Last night, Sharapova lost in the second round of the Mutua Madrid Open, 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 to Eugenie Bouchard. It means she now must reach the semi-finals of next week’s Italian Open to ensure a place in the Wimbledon main draw by right. Otherwise, the All England Club will have to make a decision on a wild card for her on June 20.
Bouchard, who only two weeks ago called Sharapova a “cheater” who should have been banned for life, said: “I still have the same opinion about Sharapova. There were a lot of players coming to me privately and wishing me good luck. I won for all of them.”
The tournament in Birmingham comes in the middle of the three-week grass-court period leading into Wimbledon and is set to have a strong line-up, which will be revealed in full this week. Johanna Konta, the British No 1, Simona Halep, Agnieszka Radwanska and Garbiñe Muguruza are the four top-ten players who have publicly committed to playing.
With Sharapova taking up one wild card, there are three places remaining. Heather Watson, Naomi Broady, Tara Moore and Laura Robson are among the British candidates for a place.
Watson is among the players to have criticised the way in which Sharapova has received wild cards upon her return from suspension. “From a moral standpoint you should have to work your way back up if you’ve been on a ban,” Watson said. “It just seems a bit easy.”
The LTA also organises the Aegon Open in Nottingham from, June 10 to 18, and the Aegon International in Eastbourne, from June 23 to July 1. It is understood that Sharapova is unlikely to play in either tournament.
“We are in the process of deciding which players will receive wild cards for our summer season grass-court tournaments,” an LTA spokesman said.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/sport/birmingham-wild-card-for-sharapova-ks0krbljt
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