GUIDE TO OLYMPIC QUALIFICATION

As it creeps ever closer, this year’s Olympics is fast becoming the talk of the tour.  It is a subject which is a regular topic of discussion in press conferences and the anticipation and excitement is evident on the faces of the players as they look ahead to London 2012.

The tennis event may not quite have the stature of a grand slam, but it provides an opportunity, which only comes along once every four years, to pick up a medal in what is arguably the world’s greatest sporting event.

There may have been reservations over what the Olympics actually meant to the top tennis players in the past, but there is no doubt that this year’s event is a major priority for all who can qualify. It is certainly no distraction; it is truly this year’s ‘fifth grand slam’.

The fact it takes place at the All England Club adds to the appeal.  Just 20 days after the last ball is hit in The Championships 2012, the players will take to the grass of Wimbledon once more from Saturday 28 July, the first ball being hit just 13 hours after the opening ceremony concludes the night before, to Sunday 5 August for nine days of Olympic tennis.

This will not just be another repeat of The Championships, however.  With Olympic branding surrounding the courts and music being played as the players walk out in different-coloured clothing – there will be no all-white dress rule – to the vocal support of fans from their respective countries, this will be an event with a very different feel to the one we are normally accustomed to at SW19.

But which tennis players shall we see competing at the Olympics this year?  The event is not akin to a grand slam where the top 104, 16 qualifiers and eight wild card entrants make up a draw of 128.  The men’s singles draw, for example, will have a total of 64 players.

However, the complexities of the qualification system mean that world No.19 Fernando Verdasco, of Spain, and France’s Julien Benneteau, ranked No.33, could well miss out.

If you are struggling to get your head round that and fathom who will be there and who won’t, then hopefully this extensive guide to Olympic qualification will explain all:

MEN’S AND WOMEN’S SINGLES

As stated previously, the singles draws will each consist of 64 players.  The top 56 players in the world rankings of Monday 11 June will qualify as direct acceptances, although each country is limited to a maximum of four players in the singles.

This is why players like Verdasco and Benneteau may not qualify.  As Spain and France both have several top players, there is four of their fellow countrymen above them in the rankings.  This is not something Great Britain will have to think too much about, with Andy Murray currently the only player in the top 56 at No.4.


As Verdasco could not compete, his space would then go to the world No.57 and so on until all the 56 direct acceptance slots are filled.

There are also six ITF places, which are effectively wild cards.  These will be allocated to players who have not qualified for the event as direct acceptances and factors such as rankings, whether the country is already represented and geographical location will be considered by the ITF. 

There is a strong possibility that the British No.2 - currently world No.163 James Ward - will be awarded an ITF place since the Olympics is being held in London.  However, this will not be confirmed until June 28 when the announcement is made.

The remaining two places are allocated by the Tripartite Commission and generally go to smaller countries that are not well represented in the Olympics.  For example, at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, then-world No.447 Rafael Arevalo, of El Salvador and Togo’s Komlavi Loglo, then-world No.526, were chosen for the men’s singles.

Every competitor in the Olympics must also be in good standing with their own association and the ITF, and must have made themselves available for Davis Cup or Fed Cup selection in at least two of the following years: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012.  One of these years must either be 2011 or 2012.

This has created an unfortunate situation where world No.7 Marion Bartoli, of France, is likely to miss out.  She is in the middle of a long-running dispute with the French tennis federation and has not played in the Fed Cup since 2004.  This deems her ineligible, although she hopes to receive an exemption from the ITF, which many observers feel is unlikely.

The draw will be made on Thursday 26 July at 11am.  There will be sixteen seeds, based on the latest rankings, and the draw will ensure that players from the same country are kept apart in the early stages, with two players in different halves and three or four in different quarters.

All matches will be the best of three sets, with tiebreaks in the first two sets only, except the Men’s Singles final which will be the best of five sets, with tiebreaks in the first four sets only.  A player will have to win six matches to become champion.

MEN’S AND WOMEN’S DOUBLES

The doubles events are slightly more complex.  There will be 32 teams in each draw, with the top 24 teams in the combined singles and doubles rankings of Monday 11 June qualifying as direct acceptances.  Each country can enter a maximum of two teams.

However, the difference here is that players ranked in the doubles top 10 are prioritised and can play with a partner of their choice, provided they have a world ranking.  For example, doubles world No.3 Max Mirnyi, of Belarus, could choose to play with Alexander Bury, currently ranked No.175.

One peculiar scenario is that of Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi, of Pakistan, who is currently ranked 11 in the doubles rankings and is hopeful of being in the top 10 by the cut-off date, but does not have anyone to play with as there are no other Pakistanis with a world ranking at present.

There are reports that 32-year-old Aqeel Khan, the former world No.349 who has not had a ranking since July 2010, could attempt to gain a ranking point at a forthcoming Futures event to become eligible to play alongside Qureshi in London.  If Khan is not successful, though, Qureshi is hopeful that he may receive a place in the singles event courtesy of the Tripartite Commission.

Once the top 10 doubles players have selected their partners, the remaining slots in the initial 24 will go to the highest-ranked combined pairs, just as it is done in tour events.  Based on recent ranking lists, the cut is likely to be around the 50-60 mark.  However, this is a very rough estimate as we will not be certain of the doubles teams who have entered until June.

The remaining eight places, effectively wild cards, will be allocated by the ITF.  Great Britain will be hopeful of receiving one of these places if either Andy and Jamie Murray or Colin Fleming and Ross Hutchins fail to qualify by right.

Another point worth considering is that a country can only have a maximum total of six men and six women in their Olympic tennis team.   For example, this may affect the selection of the USA who will likely have four players in the Men’s Singles.  Bob and Mike Bryan will be entered in the Men’s Doubles, meaning that the other doubles slot, if they wish to take it up, would have to be filled by two of the singles entrants.

This would have an impact on someone like Eric Butorac, who is currently ranked No.31 in the doubles rankings, and would likely make the cut by teaming up with world No.8 Mardy Fish.  However, Butorac cannot enter as it would bring the amount of male athletes in the American side to more than six.

The draw will be made on Thursday 26 July at 11am.  There will be a total of eight seeded pairs, although it is interesting to note that the selection of the seeds in the doubles will be at the discretion of the ITF, with the latest rankings being used as a primary, but not sole, basis for such selections.

Matches will be played as the best of three sets, with tiebreaks in the first two sets only.  A team will have to win five matches to become champions.

MIXED DOUBLES

Mixed Doubles returns to the Olympics for the first time in 88 years and promises to be another intriguing part of the tennis event.  The draw shall be made up of 16 teams, with a maximum of two from each country.

Rather than entries being done in advance like the other events, entries shall be made by each national association on-site.  Players are only eligible for the Mixed Doubles if they are competing in the other events, which means that someone like Jamie Murray could not compete in the mixed if he was not playing in the Men’s Doubles.

The top 12 teams based on the combined rankings of Monday 11 June will qualify as direct acceptances.  The remaining four spots will be used as ITF places (wild cards).

The deadline for on-site entries is Tuesday 31 July at 11am, with the draw, including four seeded pairs, being made later that day.  The event will start on Wednesday 1 August.

There are some pairs who have already indicated interest in participating, Andy Roddick and Serena Williams probably being the most well-known example.  The deadline on Tuesday, though, will likely see late decisions being made, with players who have been knocked out of other events in the early stages perhaps deciding to give the mixed a go.

For example, imagine Andy Murray was knocked out of both the Men’s Singles and Men’s Doubles events in the first round.  The Mixed Doubles would provide him with one last chance to pick up a medal at his home Olympics.

Matches will be played as the best of three sets, with tiebreaks in the first two sets if required and a match tiebreak (first to ten points and win by two) as the deciding set.  A team will have to win four matches to become champions.

RANKING POINTS

The winner of the Men’s Singles event earns 750 ATP ranking points, while the runner-up receives 450 points.  The Women’s Singles champion will get 685 WTA points, with the runner-up receiving 470 points.

Unlike boxing where the two losing semi-finalists are both awarded a bronze medal, there is a 3^rd/4^th place play-off in each of the tennis events.  Both the singles bronze medallists will receive 340 ranking points.

There are no ranking points awarded in the doubles events.

FOR THOSE WHO DON’T QUALIFY FOR LONDON

There is no question that those who miss out on qualification for the Olympics will be disappointed, but it is not all doom and gloom as there are alternative events on that week, which will suffer from weakened entry lists.

The men can play in the Legg Mason Classic hard-court event in Washington DC, which is part of the ATP 500 series.  The tournament had five of the top 20 last year, but that is unlikely to be the case this year due to the clash with the Olympics.  If Verdasco did not qualify for London, he would likely be the top seed here.

The women also have an option in Washington DC, with the Citi Open, a WTA International event, taking place that same week.

There is the possibility that players may prefer to play in the USA as the Olympics is not a mandatory event.  Some may feel they have a better chance of earning crucial ranking points on the hard-courts in Washington DC, although it is hard to imagine that there are many willing to miss out on the Olympic experience.

Players may also feel that by playing in Washington DC, they may be better prepared for the ATP Masters and WTA Premier events in Canada the following week.  The Olympics and Rogers Cup events are back-to-back and it will be a tough ask for players to perform well on hard-courts having flown straight from London, where they were playing on grass.

STILL CONFUSED?

I hope this has helped you develop an understanding of the Olympics qualification system.  I understand that it is not easy to grasp, so if you have any further questions, leave a comment below or tweet @stu_fraser and I will do my best to help.


The full ITF Olympic rulebook is available here: http://2012.itftennis.com/olympics/organisation/rules-regs.aspx

MURRAY ABSENCE A BLOW TO BRITISH DAVIS CUP HOPES

It has been a happy time for Leon Smith as the AEGON Great Britain Davis Cup team captain.  Four wins out of four ties in charge have seen his side earn their place back in Europe/Africa Zone Group One.

However, that win streak is under threat of coming to a halt next week at the Braehead Arena, on the outskirts of Glasgow, against the Slovak Republic after Andy Murray announced he will miss the tie on medical grounds.

The world No.4’s absence will allow him extra time to recover from his exertions in Australia and spend some time training with Ivan Lendl in Miami before he returns to action at the Dubai ATP 500 event, which begins on February 27.

For Great Britain, though, it is a huge blow and has changed the complexion of the tie.  In a role-reversal, the home side are no longer favourites. 

Tonight, Smith heads back to the UK from Eilat, where he has been watching and assisting Judy Murray’s Fed Cup team, to finalise his preparations for next week.  He is understandably disappointed that he won’t be joined by his former protégé in Glasgow but is more than understanding of his reasons.

Smith said: “I am 100 percent behind Andy’s decision.  There is no doubt for Andy, but also for British tennis, that his career is about getting his first grand slam and beyond that.  Coupled with the Olympics being on, it is a packed schedule and it is a very important year for him.

“We saw how close he was to toppling Novak Djokovic in Australia and I am with him on this.  I think he has got to look after his body and look after his preparations for the rest of the year.”

21-year-old Dan Evans, ranked 296, comes in for Murray, in what will be his first Davis Cup appearance since the loss away to Lithuania in March 2010 - and joins team regulars James Ward, the world No.155, Colin Fleming and Ross Hutchins.

Both of the Slovak Republic’s singles picks are ranked ahead of Ward.  Lukas Lacko is ranked just within the top 100 at No.97 and Martin Klizan is at No.116 - and they are joined by two accomplished doubles specialists in Filip Polasek and Michal Mertinak.

The rankings show that Britain will face a tough task in trying to get the three victories required to win the tie.  Smith acknowledges this but maintains that they will try their best to achieve what would be a win against the odds.

He said: “We have got to now look again where we are at on the men’s side.  We have got players who are in a bit of form - Ward, who qualified for the first time at a grand slam in Australia, and Evans, who recently qualified for the Zagreb ATP event, which is a good sign - so we have got to put these guys on the court and it’s up to all of us to try and work hard and win without Andy.

“There is no doubt we are underdogs and we haven’t been that for a while. It is not a bad thing, though.  We have got to look at this tie and at some point we have to have our players beating higher-ranked opponents.

“We are not playing against opponents that are ranked in the top 10 or top 20 in the world.  It is not unrealistic to think that if we had a really good day at the office, we could actually get through this one. 

“But we are going to have to play extremely well and our tactics will have to be spot on.  We have done a lot of research on them and have a lot of video footage.  It is just a question of trying to get out there and fight as hard as we can, play smart tennis and see where that can take us.”

Win or lose, Britain will play another Davis Cup tie at some point later this year.  You sense the aim now for Smith’s team is not to undo all the hard work of last year and retain their position in Group One.  Murray’s participation is key in that and Smith is hopeful that he shall have his star player back for next time.

Smith said: “For these top guys, especially someone like Andy who is featuring in the latter stages of just about every event he plays, it is going to be a brutally tiring year but let’s see where this tie goes and I’ll have another conversation with him.

“But he certainly really enjoyed playing the last couple of matches and is definitely open to playing in the future, so fingers crossed he will play the next one.”

BRITAIN READY FOR FED CUP ACTION IN EILAT

For Judy Murray, Israel holds happy memories.

This was the place where, in 2005, she witnessed her youngest son, a 17-year-old Andy Murray, show an early sign of his future promise when he teamed up with David Sherwood to achieve a famous Davis Cup doubles win for Great Britain in Tel Aviv against the established Israeli pairing of Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram.

“What I remember specifically about that is how noisy the Israeli crowd were, which is normal in Davis Cup, and apparently they are the same in Fed Cup,” says Judy, who has returned to the country this week to do more than just watch a match of tennis.

As the new AEGON GB Fed Cup team captain, Judy has a chance to show this week that there is more to her than just being the mother of Andy.  Most of us knew that anyway (if you are a Twitter follower of hers, you will know what I am talking about), but try telling that to those who have solely formed an opinion of a woman they only ever see camera shots of, showing her cheering and fist-pumping as her sons compete on-court.

This is a job which she feels perfectly suited to.  For years, she accompanied British juniors to tournaments in all corners of the country.  And as she chats at the team hotel in stunning surroundings – the view extends across the Red Sea over to the mountains of Jordan basked in glorious sunshine – she can’t quite believe the position in which she finds herself.

“I am certainly pinching myself right now; the hotel is fantastic,” she says.  “I’ve done the rounds of the junior tournaments and always trying to save money for accommodation, and we’re in the fortunate position where we are able to benefit from super surroundings like this.  It’s an absolute pleasure to be here.

“For me, it’s a new experience in terms of captaining a British women’s team.  I have captained several junior teams in the past but it’s the first time working with an adult team and, of course, that is quite a different challenge, obviously because the players are older and because I came into the role quite close to the tie.”

The stakes are significantly higher this time.  Here, Judy leads her team of Elena Baltacha, Anne Keothavong, Heather Watson and Laura Robson, as Britain attempts to work their way up and out of the Europe/Africa Zone Group One stage for the eighth consecutive year.

Their chances have been aided by the draw.  Britain have been drawn in Pool C alongside the Netherlands, Israel and Portugal, and if they make it through the round-robin stage, will play a promotion play-off on Saturday, for which they have avoided a possible clash with Poland – who have world No.6 Agnieszka Radwanska - and Romania, generally seen as the two strongest teams in Eilat this week.

But this is regarded as a notoriously difficult section to progress from.  Even the presence of former world No.1 Caroline Wozniacki last year was not enough to prevent Denmark from suffering relegation.  Judy is hopeful that her side can earn a World Group Two play-off, possibly on home soil in April, but rightfully remains cautious.

 “I don’t think any of the matches will be easy as every team has got some very strong players,” she points out.  “We did a lot of scouting of our opponents during the Australian swing and we have a lot of footage and information.  We have been able to brief our girls very well on the strengths and weaknesses of each opponent and hopefully prepare them as well as we can for what is ahead.

“I think we have a side capable of getting out of this group but it will be a difficult thing to do.  There are 15 teams in the group and only two will get the chance to get into a play-off for the next level.  It will be tough, but I think if everybody plays to their potential and stays healthy, then we have as good a chance as anybody else.”

Britain arrived last Thursday and preparations have went well, according to all.  The captain has been hard at work analysing video footage, and has been so focused on her job that she did not see any of her son’s epic five-set Australian Open semi-final match with Novak Djokovic last week.

Judy was courtside for Andy’s first few matches in Melbourne, but had to fly home early last week to be ready for her duties in Eilat.  A sacrifice perhaps, but one she feels is well worth it.

“I think if you are going to take on a role like this, you have to do it properly and you have to show the same commitment to the girls as you would hope they would show to you and the team” she says.

“For me, if I’m going to take it on, it’s just one of those things.  The ties are always at the beginning of February, it’s always going to clash with the Australian Open and I’ve seen Andy in a couple of finals there anyway, so I reckon if he’s going to win one of these things, it won’t make any difference whether I am there or not.”

The tweets and chat show that the British team appear to be a happy bunch.  Not that there wasn’t fun before under previous captain Nigel Sears, but the fact there is a roll-up dartboard in one of their rooms this year tells the story. 

But the real work begins today.