All England Club Announces Wimbledon Wild Cards

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 13th June 2013

All England Club Announces Wimbledon Wild Cards

epa03742938 Britain's Andy Murray returns the ball to Nicolas Mahut of France during their second round match of the Aegon Tennis Championships at the Queen's Club in London, Britain, 13 June 2013. EPA/ANDY RAIN |

Elena Baltacha has won just one WTA match since last August and fellow British veteran Anne Keothavong has also seen her ranking slip below the 200 mark so the All England Club were accused of charitable home bias with the pair both granted wild card entries worth a record high £23,500.

Both expected to be playing in their last Wimbledon Championships and Keothavong has already been named as a new member of the BBC TV television commentary team. But the pair figure in the list seven British players awarded wildcards with 18 Kyle Edmund, winner of the French Open boys doubles titles last Saturday, handed direct entry into the men’s singles after playing just one match on the main ATP World Tour.

Laura Robson and Heather Watson obviously possess sufficiently high rankings to merit direct entry but Johanna Konta, Tara Moore and Samantha Murray will join them and Baltacha and Keothavong in the ladies singles’ 128-strong first round.

In the men’s singles, only Edmund and 26 year-old James Ward merit wild cards to join probable second seed Andy Murray. Surprisingly Dan Evans, who yesterday scored a second laudable win the AEGON Championships by beating the experienced Jarkko Nieminen 6-4, 6-7, 6-4, must be content with a wild card into next week’s qualifying competition.

Australian Matthew Ebden, who won the mixed doubles at the Australian Open this year, and Nicolas Mahut, who lost a record 11-hour-and-five-minute match against American John Isner in 2010, have also been granted wildcard entries.

Edmund has also been granted a wildcard for the men’s doubles, where he will partner compatriot Jamie Baker.

Men’s singles wildcards

Matthew Ebden (Aus), Kyle Edmund (GB), Nicolas Mahut (Fra), James Ward (GB)

Women’s singles wildcards

Elena Baltacha (GB), Anne Keothavong (GB), Johanna Konta (GB), Tara Moore (GB), Samantha Murray (GB), Andrea Petkovic (Ger)

Men’s doubles wildcards

Jamie Baker (GB) and Kyle Edmund (GB), Jamie Delgado (GB) and Matthew Ebden (Aus), David Rice (GB) and Sean Thornley (GB)

Women’s doubles wildcards

Anne Keothavong (GB) and Johanna Konta (GB), Tara Moore (GB) and Melanie South (GB), Samantha Murray (GB) and Jade Windley (GB), Shahar Peer (Isr) and Zi Yan (Chn), Nicola Slater (GB) and Lisa Whybourn (GB).