Linz Makes Curious Moves To Get Kerber Into The Draw

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 7th October 2013

Linz Makes Curious Moves To Get Kerber Into The Draw

epa03886025 Angelique Kerber of Germany celebrates after defeating Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark during their semifinal match of the Toray Pan Pacific Open tennis tournament in Tokyo, Japan, 27 September 2013. EPA/KIYOSHI OTA |

While the type of move that the WTA tournament in Linz made to insure that it could give a last minute wild card to Angelique Kerber isn’t unheard of in tour history, it was unusual.

First top seed, Petra Kvitova pulled out on Saturday with a lower back injury. Under WTA rules, once the qualifying had started, only a Lucky Loser could replace a non wild card such as Kvitova.

Kerber, who is just a handful of points behind Jelena Jankovic in the Race to the WTA Championships, wanted in after she lost in the quarters of Beijing. Apparently, she had applied for a wild card a week before Linz was about to start, which is within the rules.

But the only way that the tournament could get Kerber into the main draw on Sunday just before Monday’s order of play was to released, was to have one of its other wild cards withdraw, which very rarely occurs.

Apparently, Tournament Director Sandra Reichel approached No. 337 ranked Lisa -Maria Moser of Austria, and asked her to withdraw. Moser then did so for “personal reasons.” Had she withdrawn for medial reason, the tournament would not have been allowed to replace her with anyone but a Lucky Loser.

Moser was given a wild card into doubles in which the tournament described in an official statement as “a small compensation.” That statement indicates that tournament took an end-around when it came to tour rules

“Angie is totally happy, Reichel said. “And for me, this is of course also great of still being able to invite a top 10 player at such short notice. ”

Moser added “A top 10 player is very important for the tournament so I can’t blame anyone.”

However, Ana Ivanovic, who was the second seed at the bottom half of the draw but was moved into the top section as the No. 3 seed, wasn’t thrilled. She is now in second seed Sloane Stephens half of the draw.

Kerber is the top seed, but is in the bottom half.

“One of those things when you realize you’re powerless… No matter what they say! #linzdraw” Ivanovic tweeted.

As a top 10 player, Kerber normally would not be allowed to play her third WTA International Series event, which Linz is, but she is being allowed to do so because when she played the Washington DC International Series tournament this summer she did so because the Premier Level event in Carlsbad, California, was oversubscribed.

Topics: 10sballs.com, Ana Ivanovic, Angelique Kerber, Jelena Jankovic, Lisa -Maria Moser, Petra Kvitova, Sloane Stephens, Tennis, Tennis News, Wta