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International Tennis Federation (International Tennis Federation)ITTF) has confirmed that its process for awarding wildcards will be reviewed after a woman’s “unacceptable” performance in a £22,000 professional tournament sparked controversy.
These comments were made after the first round of the ITF W35 event. Kenya Wildcard Hajar Abdelkader, 21, lost 6-0 6-0 in 37 minutes.
She committed 20 double faults and appeared unfamiliar with the fundamentals of the game, prompting organizers to say she should not be awarded a wild card.
“As an event operator and national association, Tennis Kenya understands that Ms Abdulkader has the appropriate standards to compete,” an ITF spokesman said.
“It turns out that this is clearly not the case and is unacceptable for the World Tennis Tour event and unfortunate for the players.
“We acknowledge that steps must be taken to prevent this from happening again. We are exploring ways to ensure this by reviewing the process for awarding wild cards and considering the minimum playing standard requirements for participation in WTT events.”
Earlier, Tennis Kenya said Egypt’s Abdel Kader had been awarded a wildcard after submitting a “formal request” after another player withdrew.
“At the time, Ms Abdelkader was the only player to apply for a wild card,” organizers said, adding that the wild card was awarded “in order to maintain a comprehensive and balanced draw while supporting the development of tennis in Africa”.
“In hindsight, Tennis Kenya acknowledges that this wild card should not have been awarded. The federation has taken note of this experience and will ensure that this extremely rare situation does not happen again,” it added.
Offering nearly 11,000 players the opportunity to compete annually in more than 1,250 events in more than 75 countries, the WTT is the primary pathway to the top levels of the sport, with entry-level tournaments still offering prize money and ranking points.
Reuters