French Open Ranking Cutoff

[jbill]

Does anyone happen to know what the ranking cutoff will be this year for the French Open? I'm talking about where a player gets in the main draw,
1st round, solely based on his ATP ranking. He doesn't have to qualify or get a wild card or special exemption. Is it in the 80's or is it higher? I believe Ryan Harrison will be in the main draw this year and I think he is around 85. Also, at what date are they pulling the ranking numbers of players to determine who is automatically in the main draw?

jbill

[tennis_chiro]

Grand Slam direct entries

Typically, the cutoff comes 6 weeks before the start date of the main draw. At least that's what it used to be. I had to be aware of it because I was always looking for guys who just got in and didn't have to qualify but were pretty good doubles players who could play in Huggy Bears that took place during qualifying for the US Open. I think it was 102 straight in, 16 qualifiers and 10 wild cards. I'm not sure if it is 8, 9 or 10 wild cards. So it's usually the top 102 guys straight in, but a protected ranking can and everyone being healthy actually bump the last direct acceptance lower than 102. But that is very unusual.

It looks like there are 8 guys who will get straight in plus whoever won the wild card award that the USTA trades for a spot with the French Federation. Smyzek was on the bubble about 8 weeks ago, but he dropped out of the top 110 and it's unusual for there to be that many players that don't want to show up for that first round losers check and everything that goes with being in the main draw of a major (sponsors, etc). Brian Baker may be ready to return, but I haven't seen his name anywhere. I think he'll have his protected ranking at least through the US Open regardless of what he does in his first few matches.

don

[jbill]

Lousy performance on clay

Thanks for the info, Don. If that's true what you say about the last direct acceptance being six weeks before the start of the tournament, I guess Ryan Harrison is lucky to get in. He was going backwards for a while there. He actually almost dropped out of the top 100. He was at #100 a little while back until he won a challenger in Florida a few weeks ago.

The Americans' performance on clay has been quite pathetic the last few years with maybe the exception of John Isner and Brian Baker. It doesn't even seem that many want to go to Europe for the clay court season to prepare for the Fench Open! I don't think many go to Latin America for the clay court tournaments down there, either. I don't get that.

Anyone have an opinion about why the American men's performance on clay is so lousy?

jbill