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2016 Aussie Watch

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Firestarter said:
Duckie takes Tokyo in 3 sets!
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Great news, that should put him very close to the AO main draw cutoff. Either way he deserves a wild card now so won't need to compete in the playoff.
 
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On my way into the cricket at Adelaide Oval today I walked through Memorial Drive and Kokkinakis was on court practicing. Hard to tell but he seemed to be moving and hitting well enough to suggest he would be playing this summer.

Stolle seemed to be coaching a group of four but I couldn't pick any of the others.
 
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I am sure it will change as we get closer to the event but just out of interest this is how I would allocate the Wildcards for the Australian Open.

This assumes Duckworth who is currently ranked 103 gets direct entry by the start of the tournament and Kokkinakis uses his protected ranking for entry.

Main Draw Direct Entry – Kyrgios, Tomic, Kokkinakis (protected ranking), Thompson, Millman, Duckworth,

Main Draw Wildcards (8) – Groth, Polmans, Whittington, De Minaur plus AO Wildcard Playoff winner, USA WC, Asia WC, France WC,

Qualifying Direct Entry – Groth (MD WC), Polmans (MD WC), Whittington (MD WC), Barton, Matosevic, Patrick – Smith

Qualifying Wildcards (9) - Saville, Ebden, O’Connell, Mott, Purcell, Jasika, Van Peperzeel plus U18 National championships winner, Asia Junior Champion

Others to be considered - Kelly, Banes, Mousley, Nolan, Reid, Fancutt, Anderson (injured)
 

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Redline said:
I am sure it will change as we get closer to the event but just out of interest this is how I would allocate the Wildcards for the Australian Open.

This assumes Duckworth who is currently ranked 103 gets direct entry by the start of the tournament and Kokkinakis uses his protected ranking for entry.

Main Draw Direct Entry – Kyrgios, Tomic, Kokkinakis (protected ranking), Thompson, Millman, Duckworth,

Main Draw Wildcards (8) – Groth, Polmans, Whittington, De Minaur plus AO Wildcard Playoff winner, USA WC, Asia WC, France WC,

Qualifying Direct Entry – Groth (MD WC), Polmans (MD WC), Whittington (MD WC), Barton, Matosevic, Patrick – Smith

Qualifying Wildcards (9) - Saville, Ebden, O’Connell, Mott, Purcell, Jasika, Van Peperzeel plus U18 National championships winner, Asia Junior Champion

Others to be considered - Kelly, Banes, Mousley, Nolan, Reid, Fancutt, Anderson (injured)
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Yeah looks good mate.
 
I think TA would go with those choices if picked now but it's worth looking at all of them to see where they stand. i wouldn't be surprised with a WC being used for the Kokk as then he can use his PR at the French possible. providing he's fit.

Groth (ranked no. 181) - Can understand a WC but really after the year he had it is also easy to argue why he shouldn't get a handout. A challenger title and Davis Cup player (still confused about that selection) will give it to him but his game has seemed to fallen apart, his volleys and groundies can be suspect and really rely on his confidence, hence why he starts losing matches,a spiral like the first half of the year happened. He did get a win here last year too so defending a round win and should draw home support so he will get a WC. I hope he can get his confidence back but it's unlikely because his game on can be fun to watch.

Whittington (no.170) - This is a fascinating one, the ranking and his age should be an automatic WC, but his second half of the year and the movement to challengers from futures, he struggled to win matches. He gained the bulk of his points from futures and a weak Australian challenger win. I'm not sure if he has the game to challenger, serve is reasonably big but groundies are not at atp level. Give him a go, I suspect he'll be belted, and that wouldn't surprise me if they give to one of the younger guys.

Polmans (no. 226) - A TA favourite and has increased his ranking by 600 spots this year. Again, this is by some futures wins, and when I mean futures, ones in Mozambique and Zimbabwe, he did win ones in Australia later on to and made the final of one of the challengers so his career seems to be on a steady progession, I doubt he'll be at ATP level yet but he's earned his keep. His really is talented athletically, just needs a few years to build up strength, I'm very curious to see how he has developed when we see him this summer because when I first saw him a few years back, I imagined a Peter Luzcak type of career for him, he seems to be heading down that path at the moment.

De Minuar (no. 354) - Interesting decision to go play challengers in Europe late in the year, and he had some fantastic results. I haven't see much of this kid so can't judge but these results as a 17 year old, TA won't be able to resist.

The rest: To me the one who can upstage is Purcell (ranked no.324) and had some great results as a youngster. Barton has struggled a bit with injury since his great Wimby run. Smith's year has been way too average (so is his game). Matosevic is unlikely ever to get another one. Chris O'Connell and Blake Mott are ones who have increased their ranking who may put themselves in contention with a run at the WC playoff. Jasika has struggle to improve this year (I think he has had some injury issues) and Saville just plain sucks.
 
matt_897 said:
I think TA would go with those choices if picked now but it's worth looking at all of them to see where they stand. i wouldn't be surprised with a WC being used for the Kokk as then he can use his PR at the French possible. providing he's fit.

Groth (ranked no. 181) - Can understand a WC but really after the year he had it is also easy to argue why he shouldn't get a handout. A challenger title and Davis Cup player (still confused about that selection) will give it to him but his game has seemed to fallen apart, his volleys and groundies can be suspect and really rely on his confidence, hence why he starts losing matches,a spiral like the first half of the year happened. He did get a win here last year too so defending a round win and should draw home support so he will get a WC. I hope he can get his confidence back but it's unlikely because his game on can be fun to watch.

Whittington (no.170) - This is a fascinating one, the ranking and his age should be an automatic WC, but his second half of the year and the movement to challengers from futures, he struggled to win matches. He gained the bulk of his points from futures and a weak Australian challenger win. I'm not sure if he has the game to challenger, serve is reasonably big but groundies are not at atp level. Give him a go, I suspect he'll be belted, and that wouldn't surprise me if they give to one of the younger guys.

Polmans (no. 226) - A TA favourite and has increased his ranking by 600 spots this year. Again, this is by some futures wins, and when I mean futures, ones in Mozambique and Zimbabwe, he did win ones in Australia later on to and made the final of one of the challengers so his career seems to be on a steady progession, I doubt he'll be at ATP level yet but he's earned his keep. His really is talented athletically, just needs a few years to build up strength, I'm very curious to see how he has developed when we see him this summer because when I first saw him a few years back, I imagined a Peter Luzcak type of career for him, he seems to be heading down that path at the moment.

De Minuar (no. 354) - Interesting decision to go play challengers in Europe late in the year, and he had some fantastic results. I haven't see much of this kid so can't judge but these results as a 17 year old, TA won't be able to resist.

The rest: To me the one who can upstage is Purcell (ranked no.324) and had some great results as a youngster. Barton has struggled a bit with injury since his great Wimby run. Smith's year has been way too average (so is his game). Matosevic is unlikely ever to get another one. Chris O'Connell and Blake Mott are ones who have increased their ranking who may put themselves in contention with a run at the WC playoff. Jasika has struggle to improve this year (I think he has had some injury issues) and Saville just plain sucks.
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Agree, but I reckon they'll go Jasika over De Minuar.
 

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As harsh as this is, he isn't going to do anything this summer anyway.

Very curious to see how the men's draw goes this week, a lot of interesting stories, secretly hoping Polmans can surprise but I think it'll be out of Whittington, Groth, Smith and possibly Matosevic.
 
matt_897 said:
As harsh as this is, he isn't going to do anything this summer anyway.

Very curious to see how the men's draw goes this week, a lot of interesting stories, secretly hoping Polmans can surprise but I think it'll be out of Whittington, Groth, Smith and possibly Matosevic.
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What a comeback by Jaskia!
 

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Smith vs. Mott
Jasika vs. O'Connell (O'Connell beat Groth)

JP surely will win this.
 
Honestly the two players I least wanted to make the final, we know what we are getting with JP, a challenger level player at best and Jasika has had an awful year and won easily because O'Connell was basically dead out there, and really should of been knocked out by Marinko in the first round who is a nutcase. He' solid but there's nothing there that should trouble most players in the main draw.

Anyway, good luck to them.
 

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