[lovemartinas]

Serena Williams is expected to play Madrid, Rome, and the French Open before Wimbledon this Spring. She would need to win or reach the final of the final of the FO, or win Rome or Madrid and perform well (quarters) in the other two tournaments to even be seeded in the 24-32 range for Wimbledon. Given Serena’s results at IW and Miami, this appears to be highly unlikely.

The last time Wimbledon issued a special seeding in the women’s draw was in 2011 for Serena. She was seeded #7 despite not playing since winning Wimbledon in 2010. Will they do it again?

 

[arasmas]

Re: Would Serena special seeding be unfair to Vika?

until wimbledon draw comes out then we can argue about preferential treatment. right now it's just speculation.

 

[Droog]

Re: Would Serena special seeding be unfair to Vika?

What?

The only tournament that would give a special seeding would be Wimbledon and Serena has won a billion of those while Vika has won none so no it wouldn't be unfair and no one would give a shit. If Serena starts playing in Indian Wells she should be seeded by Wimbledon anyways probably.

 

[Riskiick]

Re: Would Serena special seeding be unfair to Vika?

Serena has received special seeding in the past (2004, most notably) when she had returned from long injury layoffs. Will tournaments bump up her seeding this time around? Is this unfair to Victoria Azarenka, who did not receive any special seeding following her maternity leave?

It's really a benefit to other players when Serena's seed is elevated. To prove my point, and as a fun tidbit regarding unfairness to Vika:

In 2011, Serena returned to play after being sidelined for a year due to medical complications and her pulmonary embolism. She had an amazing American HC season (winning Stanford and the Rogers Cup). Serena went into the USO as the 28th seed. There was a LOT of talk about elevating her seed but in the end the tournament organizers decided to keep it as is. Consequently, an in form and #4 seed Victoria Azarenka drew Serena in the 3rd round and lost in straight sets. It was quite unfair to Azarenka!

 

[flying_FF]

Re: Would Serena special seeding be unfair to Vika?

It's really a benefit to other players when Serena's seed is elevated. To prove my point, and as a fun tidbit regarding unfairness to Vika:

In 2011, Serena returned to play after being sidelined for a year due to medical complications and her pulmonary embolism. She had an amazing American HC season (winning Stanford and the Rogers Cup). Serena went into the USO as the 28th seed. There was a LOT of talk about elevating her seed but in the end the tournament organizers decided to keep it as is. Consequently, an in form and #4 seed Victoria Azarenka drew Serena in the 3rd round and lost in straight sets. It was quite unfair to Azarenka!

This. Serena's seeding situation doesn't make a difference to Vika really coz she's unseeded. The chance of drawing Serena stays the same whether Serena's seeded or not.

Probably, Serena being unseeded could lead to her meeting higher-ranked player earlier and possibly exit earlier, which could be good to Vika. But face it, are there any highly-ranked women that could really challenge Serena? :lol: Not a lot imo.

 

[KCatty]

Re: Would Serena special seeding be unfair to Vika?

You are confusing special seeding with special ranking. Vika will still be able to use her special ranking at multiple tournaments prior to Wimbledon. Serena will be using hers as well. A SR only gets you into the draw...you are still seeded based upon your current ranking.

 

[Matmagix]

Re: Would Serena special seeding be unfair to Vika?

They shouldn't give her one. They can give her a protected ranking to ensure a spot in the MD where her official ranking would not be high enough. But there is no such thing as a reserved seeding spot.

See Henin in AO 2010 - drew no.5 Dementieva in second round.
Similarly Azarenka in 2015 drew no.5 Wozniacki in second round of AO.

 

[gold fangs]

Re: Would Serena special seeding be unfair to Vika?

Why does this thread exist? There's no such thing as special seeding any more. The rules were different in 2004. Serena will be unseeded when she comes back and it won't be unfair to anyone.

It's not like it's hard to look up the rules.

 

[Viktorija]

Re: Would Serena special seeding be unfair to Vika?

I hope they don’t give her a special treatment. She proves so many times that she doesn’t need one.

 

[catgut049]

Re: Would Serena special seeding be unfair to Vika?

Why does this thread exist? There's no such thing as special seeding any more. The rules were different in 2004. Serena will be unseeded when she comes back and it won't be unfair to anyone.

It's not like it's hard to look up the rules.

Better to read the rulebook before commenting:

"ii. Selection of Seeds
The selection of seeds will be at the discretion of each individual Grand Slam Tournament Committee, however, the computer ranking list dated approximately seven (7) days prior to the tournament shall be a primary, but not sole, basis for such selection."

2018 OFFICIAL GRAND SLAM RULE BOOK, pag. 25

 

[gold fangs]

Re: Would Serena special seeding be unfair to Vika?

Better to read the rulebook before commenting:


2018 OFFICIAL GRAND SLAM RULE BOOK, pag. 25

That's not a special seeding.

There were specific rules for special seeding back in 2004 (Wimbledon didn't decide to seed Serena #1, they followed the normal WTA rules).

The loophole you cited is never actually used in practice and seems to exist only to fuel pointless 10-page TF threads until the seedings are actually announced and guess what, they follow the rankings.

 

[Javi]

Re: Would Serena special seeding be unfair to Vika?

Some mod lock this thread :spit: So much nonsense

 

[lovemartinas]

Re: Would Serena special seeding be unfair to Vika?

That's not a special seeding.

There were specific rules for special seeding back in 2004 (Wimbledon didn't decide to seed Serena #1, they followed the normal WTA rules).

The loophole you cited is never actually used in practice and seems to exist only to fuel pointless 10-page TF threads until the seedings are actually announced and guess what, they follow the rankings.

I checked the records and Wimbledon actually elevated Serena’s seeding TWICE following long injury layoffs.

(1) Wimbledon 2004, Serena was ranked #10 and was awarded the #1 seed
(2) Wimbledon 2011, Serena was ranked #25 and was awarded the #7 seed

Was Wimbledon forced to give her the #1 seed in 2004 but was given discretion to offer her a higher seed in 2011? They have absolutely no ability to raise her seeding this year if they want to?

Wimbledon also bumped up the seeding for Venus Williams three times

(1) Wimbledon 2004, Venus was ranked #8 and was awarded the #3 seed
(2) Wimbledon 2006, Venus was ranked #12 and was awarded the #6 seed
(3) Wimbledon 2007, Venus was ranked #31 and was awarded the #23 seed

 

[catgut049]

Re: Would Serena special seeding be unfair to Vika?

That's not a special seeding.

There were specific rules for special seeding back in 2004 (Wimbledon didn't decide to seed Serena #1, they followed the normal WTA rules).

The loophole you cited is never actually used in practice and seems to exist only to fuel pointless 10-page TF threads until the seedings are actually announced and guess what, they follow the rankings.

That's the rule, and even if you try to ignore it, the rule still stays there.

Please read the rules, understand them and accept them.

 

[dencod18]

Re: Would Serena special seeding be unfair to Vika?

I checked the records and Wimbledon actually elevated Serena’s seeding TWICE following long injury layoffs.

(1) Wimbledon 2004, Serena was ranked #10 and was awarded the #1 seed
(2) Wimbledon 2011, Serena was ranked #25 and was awarded the #7 seed

Was Wimbledon forced to give her the #1 seed in 2004 but was given discretion to offer her a higher seed in 2011? They have absolutely no ability to raise her seeding this year if they want to?

Wimbledon also bumped up the seeding for Venus Williams three times

(1) Wimbledon 2004, Venus was ranked #8 and was awarded the #3 seed
(2) Wimbledon 2006, Venus was ranked #12 and was awarded the #6 seed
(3) Wimbledon 2007, Venus was ranked #31 and was awarded the #23 seed

Actually, the rules for ITF and WTA are different. ITF can ignore the rankings completely. WTA tournaments are different. The first time she will get a special seeding will be the French Open.

 

[dencod18]

Re: Would Serena special seeding be unfair to Vika?

That's not a special seeding.

There were specific rules for special seeding back in 2004 (Wimbledon didn't decide to seed Serena #1, they followed the normal WTA rules).

The loophole you cited is never actually used in practice and seems to exist only to fuel pointless 10-page TF threads until the seedings are actually announced and guess what, they follow the rankings.

LOL, every big tennis fan should know Serena and Venus have been given special seedings by Wimbledon. Grand Slams can do that, they are not bound by WTA or its Rankings.

 

[Meelis]

Re: Would Serena special seeding be unfair to Vika?

There's no special seeds in WTA or ITF tournaments anymore.

Grand Slam tournament can have different seeds compared to the rankings, but only Wimbledon occasionally uses this right.

 

[JoyLuckScrub]

Re: Would Serena special seeding be unfair to Vika?

I checked the records and Wimbledon actually elevated Serena’s seeding TWICE following long injury layoffs.

(1) Wimbledon 2004, Serena was ranked #10 and was awarded the #1 seed
(2) Wimbledon 2011, Serena was ranked #25 and was awarded the #7 seed

Was Wimbledon forced to give her the #1 seed in 2004 but was given discretion to offer her a higher seed in 2011? They have absolutely no ability to raise her seeding this year if they want to?

Wimbledon also bumped up the seeding for Venus Williams three times

(1) Wimbledon 2004, Venus was ranked #8 and was awarded the #3 seed
(2) Wimbledon 2006, Venus was ranked #12 and was awarded the #6 seed
(3) Wimbledon 2007, Venus was ranked #31 and was awarded the #23 seed

Vika played two tournaments in 2017. She got a MDWC into Mallorca and used her Special Ranking to get into the Wimbledon MD.
Wimbledon is the only tournament where the seedings don't always follow the rankings. They have a Seeding Committee that will occasionally shuffle the seeds https://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/atoz/seeds.html

Vika was ranked 678 when Wimbledon made their 2017 draw. What the hell did you expect from them?

Lock thread up.

 

[TheBoiledEgg]

Re: Would Serena special seeding be unfair to Vika?

WTA got rid of special seeds as it was a stupid thing to do. Picking some players to get it & not others

 

[vswfan]

Re: Would Serena special seeding be unfair to Vika?

I checked the records and Wimbledon actually elevated Serena’s seeding TWICE following long injury layoffs.

(1) Wimbledon 2004, Serena was ranked #10 and was awarded the #1 seed
(2) Wimbledon 2011, Serena was ranked #25 and was awarded the #7 seed

Was Wimbledon forced to give her the #1 seed in 2004 but was given discretion to offer her a higher seed in 2011? They have absolutely no ability to raise her seeding this year if they want to?

Wimbledon also bumped up the seeding for Venus Williams three times

(1) Wimbledon 2004, Venus was ranked #8 and was awarded the #3 seed
(2) Wimbledon 2006, Venus was ranked #12 and was awarded the #6 seed
(3) Wimbledon 2007, Venus was ranked #31 and was awarded the #23 seed

Serena was #1 seed in 2004 because the Special Ranking could be used in seeding by then, and her SR was No.2 so she was the #1 seed after then-No.1 Henin and then-No.2 Clijsters both withdrew. Same situation for Venus was had a SR No.4.