Tim Henman was put in an awkward position live on air while being quizzed about Lois Boisson’s Wimbledon hopes. The world No. 361 enjoyed a fairytale run in her first Grand Slam appearance at the French Open, reaching the semi-finals as a wildcard and taking out two top-10 players en route.
But her chances of playing Wimbledon are up in the air as the entry deadline was weeks ago, when Boisson couldn’t make the cut. The Frenchwoman used her special injury ranking of No. 153 to enter qualifying but Henman, who sits on the AELTC board, was asked whether she could receive a special pass into the main draw.
Boisson’s French Open run came to an end at the hands of No. 2 seed Gauff, who blitzed the home hope 6-1 6-2 on Thursday afternoon. And attention has already turned to the breakthrough star’s next Grand Slam appearance.
The Frenchwoman will skyrocket up into the world’s top 70 when the rankings update on Monday but it’s too late for her to gain access into the Wimbledon draw via direct entry and she will need to go through qualifying or receive a wildcard, as Henman explained.
“It’s interesting. The entry system in tennis is six weeks before the tournament,” the former British No. 1 said on TNT Sports.
“So the entry deadline for Wimbledon has already been and she was No. 361 in the world for that so she wouldn’t get in qualifying.
“However, because her ranking has moved so far, you have to see what the opportunities are. There are eight wildcards in the main draw, there are nine I think it is into qualifying so it will be interesting to see who else applies and what the options are.”
Boisson already appears to have crossed one hurdle as her name appeared on the qualifying entry list. She would have to win three preliminary round matches to get into the main draw.
But those at the All England Club could offer her a wildcard to cut all of that out, and TNT Sports pundit Craig Doyle tried to put Henman in the hot seat. “Do you know anyone who can help with the wildcard situation?” he asked.
Laughing, Henman swiftly replied: “No.” But Doyle continued fishing. “Are you sure? Do you ever want to holiday in France again, Tim?” he joked.
Boisson herself has yet to plan her next steps, but she knows she will likely have to tweak her schedule after going on a career-changing run in Paris.
“I haven’t really thought of what’s to come next, because I’ve only just finished the match. But, yes, of course the program will change. It won’t be what was planned at the beginning, considering my upcoming ranking,” she said.
“But for the time being, I’m not going to make any particular changes, because I think that if I’m here today, it’s because it works well, and I don’t see why I would change much.”
First, Boisson will take some time off. She explained: “I’ve never experienced such an intense week, both physically and emotionally.
“So I think that it’s very important to take the time to recover. Not with regard to the loss, but with regard to the two weeks that I’ve just experienced. So, yes, next will be grass, but I don’t know in how many weeks.”
If Boisson does apply for a main-draw wildcard, she will have a great case. She has already proven she can go deep in Grand Slam draws and attract big crowds.
The 22-year-old will also reach a career-high ranking of No. 65 in the world on Monday, arguably too high to compete with players mostly ranked outside of the top 100 in qualies. Her absence from the qualifying draw could give other players a chance.
Content Source: www.express.co.uk