Out Federer to miss French Open In Sharapova earns Wimbledon spot
One clay event not in my best interests, says Swiss Sharapova earns place in qualifiers for SW19
There were grand-slam developments for two of the world’s highest-earning players yesterday. Maria Sharapova won her firstround match here and thus booked her place in Wimbledon’s qualifying event. But Roger Federer announced that he would be skipping the French Open to optimise his chances in SW19.
In a statement, Federer said: “I feel it’s best to … prepare for the grass and hard-court seasons … My team and I concluded today that playing just one event on clay was not in the best interest of my tennis and physical preparation for the remainder of the season.”
Federer had already withdrawn from the rest of the European claycourt season, having explained last month that “my knee was strange on the clay last year”. He seemed unlikely to have made a strong challenge in Paris in any case, given his lack of any specific build-up on the surface. But Federer’s absence will only shorten the odds further on a 10th French Open title for his old rival Rafael Nadal.
As for Sharapova, she took her customary air of detachment to extremes yesterday. Having beaten Christina Mchale 6-4, 6-2, she strolled into the interview room and claimed to be unaware of the implications for Wimbledon.
“I don’t know how Wimbledon qualifying works,” she breezed. “I think maybe you guys assume that I know these things. But every single match is a priority for me.”
Some may struggle to believe that Sharapova has not investigated the situation, given how high-profile the debate has been. But Roehampton should ready itself for a horde of TV cameras and rubbernecking fans when qualifying begins on Monday, June 26.
“The AELTC would ensure there is an appropriate level of media facilities in place,” said a spokesman for the All England Club yesterday. “We will have staff in place for the management of spectators onsite and around the courts.”
To fill in the mechanics that Sharapova has apparently failed to grasp, the 60 points she earned yesterday will take ranking to around 170, at worst, after this event. The players in Wimbledon’s qualifying event run from around 100 to close to 200.
She could earn entry to the main draw if she reaches the semi-finals here. But the road ahead is challenging. Today’s second-round match against Mirjana Lucicbaroni looks winnable, as she beat Lucic-baroni in Stuttgart last month. But the next two opponents are potentially world No 1 Angelique Kerber, followed by French Open favourite Simona Halep.
The All England Club could fasttrack Sharapova into Wimbledon’s main draw, but their room for manoeuvre will be limited by the precedent the French Tennis Federation sets today.
At 6pm BST, the federation will reveal its own wild-card policy. As The Daily Telegraph revealed last month, she can expect the compromise of a wild card into the qualifying event at Roland Garros rather than one into the main draw .
Today, Sharapova’s secondround match is sandwiched between two involving Britons: firstly Aljaz Bedene’s tilt at world No2 Novak Djokovic, and then, Andy Murray’s first outing as a 30-year-old, which brings him up against Italian No1 Fabio Fognini.