This exciting news from the beeb...

Britain's number one doubles player Jamie Murray has requested a wildcard for this year's Wimbledon singles.

The 22-year-old Scot last played a top-level singles match in April 2007 and is currently without a world ranking.

But Murray has tasted success at Wimbledon, winning the mixed doubles event with Jelena Jankovic in 2007.

"I would like to give it a go, and I thought after what I did last year it was probably my best chance. It would be a dream come true," he said.

Eight wildcards are available for the men's and women's events and are given to players whose ranking is not high enough to enter the event on merit.

Murray has won four doubles titles, but his only top-level singles match was a Davis Cup defeat by Dutchman Robin Haase last year, and he has never been ranked higher than 834.

"We don't have too many options in our country so I thought why not give it a try?" said Murray, who has also asked for entry into the singles at Queen's in the lead-up to Wimbledon.

"The faster surfaces suit my game so I think I could do OK. I can only ask and see what happens."

The Lawn Tennis Association will recommend up to eight British men and women ranked in the world's top 250 to the All England Club.

However, on the men's side, only two men fit that criteria: Jamie Baker, at 242, and 243rd-ranked Alex Bogdanovic.

Baker is highly unlikely to play at Wimbledon as he is recovering from a serious illness.

That means Murray could yet be awarded a place in the tournament, which begins on 23 June, while Wimbledon officials could invite any international players who fall within the world's top 250.

My reaction is why not? He may as well give it a shot while he's got the chance!

awww bless him - I do like Jamie - I hope they give him one and he trounces his brother! :D

Lol, imagine if they were drawn to play each other! Having said that I though Jamie did quite well when they played at the turbo tennis event!

and he was getting the biggest cheers there! I know i was shouting for him :D

Aww I hope they let him! He better not knock Andy out round 1 though :yikes:

Tbh he is a doubles player, and based on past results he isn;t good enough. However, given his excellent services to British with his doubles, I'd support his WC application 100%. :ok:

I'd say no if we had upcoming singles talent but we haven;t so why not.

To be honest if they're gonna waste a WC on a total no-hoper, they might as well give it to someone popular with a record of at least winning something.

Then again, I reckon they should give one to that Robert Dee guy.

I’m totally on the fence here. I like Jamie and appreciate from a commercial point of view he may get more bums on seats than guys like Josh Goodall, but his doubles success isn’t deserving of anything in singles imo. I’ve seen him play exhibition on a quick court and he has nice touch but his serve will be attacked by pretty much everybody.

Surely he’s going to have his hands full with doubles and mixed anyway. Does anyone know if he’ll be partnering Jelena this year?

So hope they do.. :ok:

In terms of him getting a WC for singles, I probs shouldn't really comment I guess as not fully aware of any singles results of note he has had.
Maybe that says he shouldn't get one?

A WC is worth over 10K, and that is a lot of money to hand out to an unranked singles player, although I’m aware that numerous top players who rarely play doubles on the tour will have their names in the draw.

SuperBRAT makes a good point here though. It looks a real quandary for the LTA/AELTC wrt WCs (men’s side) this year. Too many players (now) in oblivion.

I think I am right that it is not up to the LTA, but the AELTC, which confuses the matter a little bit.

In my view it's obvious - Wimbledon should not be a benefit event for (deservedly) popular no-hopers from the home Country to give it a go and pick up about US$10,000 for the privilege.

If we want Wimbledon to maintain its status and the UK to start producing decent singles players a very clear message needs to be sent out that only players committed to the singles version of the game who reach a certain standard should play.

If Murray is so keen on trying his hand at singles, why does not he not have a go at qualifying, or a challenger event?

The answer is not attractive - he knows he is not good enough and he seems to think that his relative success in a very different discipline, coupled with the fact that he is a Brit, means he 'deserves' a chance, and by process of analysis, that about 600 singles players who are better than him do not.

The LTA should make it clear (discreetly) to Murray and the AELTC that they do not support his request for a wildcard and they would prefer to see him concentrating on his (distinctly faltering) partnership with proven winner Max Mirnyi and the Mixed, if he can find a partner.

The usual suspects who get the cards more often than not go out tamely in the first round anyway. Giving Jamie the wildcard will probably see him thrashed by a Bogdanovic type player, but it will keep him in the public eye, and that can only be a good thing for the doubles game.

Its an aye from me :)

Eh - by showing that one of the better practitioners of doubles is an absolute non-starter in the singles game and only got into the draw as the result of an admitted (and jingoistic) publicity stunt?

no-by getting the people who only watch the high profile singles matches aware that we do have a world class doubles specialist

well, on the basis that they're going to give out a certain number of WCs to British players who are going to get knocked out in the first round, i don't see why Jamie shouldn't be one of them :shrug: it's not like they've got many other options is it?

The best way to do that is to watch him playing doubles - hopefully in the finals or semi-finals. That's what he should be aming for if he wants to draw attention to himself as a tennis player.

Anyone who enjoys watching singles matches and is 'unaware' of doubles is not going to be persuaded of the merits of doubles by seeing that the 'world-class' practitioner of doubles is a non-starter when it comes to singles. Quite the contrary I would think - any prejudice they may have that singles is for those who can and doubles is for those who can't is likely to be reinforced.

He might not embarrass himself, but the odds aren't high and if he does everyone is the loser.

Sadly, doubles has been in long-drawn-out but inevitable decline ever since leading singles practitioners stopped playing doubles as well - I don't think it's fair, but doubles needs more McEnroe's, Edberg's, Jarryd's and so-on.

How about no wildcards for Brits if nobody is good enough - that strikes me as a real and attractive option.

I can see that that would be an option, but being as Wimbledon isn't about to be the first slam NOT to hand out WCs to its own players, I don't see why Jamie Murray shouldn't get one.

maybe i should get one. im wildy attractive and will happily streak when i get beat :flash:

sounds great :P

btw, liam, gotta say - loving Simone Bolelli more and more :wub: :wub: :wub: he's a very attractive man :giggle:

You've got my vote

funnily enough, since ive been uber-busy and not been around on here, hes actually raised his game and started getting the results. Of course hes cursed now hes on my sig, but yeah, he is quite aesthetically pleasing ;)

yeah he has, he's been doing well. And i remember you bringing him to my attention ages and ages ago and pointing out that he was very nice to look at ;)

I was there too :D I thought Jamie did really well, he has a good serve and he is a big strong lad, I don't see no reason why he shouldn't be given a wildcard, I think he will do better than the other British wildcards.

He is good at the net too and his volleys are solid, that could work well for him on grass, no one is expecting him to win a match so he's got nothing to lose, he could even get into the 3rd round or so if he has a decent draw, it would be interesting to watch :)

:lol:

I'll add mine to that!

Hmmm, I'm of the opinion that wcs should be awarded to players who merit them, and on singles events, that isn't Jamie Murray.

He's not in the worlds top 250, but on top of that - if we look at the French Open, there are French wc players heading into the second week. I'd bet my house that's not going to happen to Jamie Murray.

I think Jamie getting a card would be solely because he's Andys brother and that he's British - I'd like to see wc's awarded on talent alone.

He's unquestionably achieved good things as a doubles player, and I actually think he'll detract from that by playing singles...

After being pretty much on the fence Barry and Sara's arguments have pretty much convinced me that there are far more deserving candidates for a wild card than Jamie Murray.

If he wants to play, why not enter the qualifying tournament?

Just to update you- Jamie's been given a wildcard to the qualifying for Queens which seems like a fair compromise don't you think?

Suits me. But I still don't really understand why he wants to.

Unless he thinks things are so dire in the GB DC team that he thinks he might be needed to help out in the singles? :shrug:

I think he lost in the Queens qualies? :unsure:

Yup he did...he lost to that oh so ever well known Pole Lucasz Kubot. And he says he is still hopeful of a Wimbledon Wild Card. :rolleyes:

http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5i1...oG_ElEpJ82IoiEg

Yeah he is quite cute. I think we should give him a WC rather than Liam, but as Bolleli will qualify by rankign I guess we'll have to go with Liam :lol:

Good point. This is why my partner think she should get one, becuase of the DC situation. Still even if he did then doesn't mean he'd be any better equipped to beat folsk in DC singles. Although the experince may be handy.

I think it's ludicrous for him to ask for a Wimbledon WC. As dire as men's tennis is in Britain, it would be a greater low for Wimby if they had a Brit playing a 5 set singles match who's career high ranking is something like 834 :wacko: :rolleyes:

I understand the reasons, but it's a fruitless aim IMO. I mean losing his Q match to some obscure, random Pole is hardly an auspcious start.

Exactly. Wimby should not give him a wildcard. Also I think Wimby should limit the no of wildcars that a player can receive, say 3 unless they win a match or two. So if the player can't make use of the 3 given over 3 the years, then that should be it.

congratulations to jamie and max.

a hard fought win today against his former partner.

come on jamie, keep it up.