When the wild cards to the Miami Open were announced on Wednesday, Sachia Vickery was the notable snub among the eight recipients on the women’s side–including big names such as Serena Williams, Victoria Azarenka, and Bethanie Mattek-Sands. The Miami Open always tends to have contrarian wild card choices that usually go to players represented by IMG, who owns and operates the event.
Putting that aside, it doesn’t make too much sense that Sachia Vickery didn’t receive a wild card. Vickery is from nearby Hollywood, Florida, which is about 30 minutes away from Key Biscayne where the event will be held for the final year before moving to Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens in 2019.
Vickery is also coming off the best week of her career in Indian Wells. She came through qualifying and defeated Canadian Eugenie Bouchard and World #3 Garbine Muguruza in a tough three-set match.
22-year-old Vickery tweeted her displeasure on not receiving a wild card, saying, “I was born and raised in Miami and grew up playing at Crandon park, I’ve also had decent results this year. Very disappointing.”
I was born and raised in miami and grew up playing at Crandon park , I’ve also had decent results this year . Very disappointing.
— Sachia Vickery (@SachiaVick) March 14, 2018
Vickery is having what looks to be a breakthrough season, which is another reason why it’s disappointing she won’t receive direct entry to her hometown tournament. She reached the semifinals in Auckland the opening week of the season and will be comfortably inside the top 100 for the first time in her career when the new rankings come out on Monday.
You can certainly make the argument that Sachia Vickery should’ve received a wild card over the likes of young Americans Whitney Osuigwe and Claire Liu, who will most likely have plenty of opportunities in the future. Other recipients were Ajla Tomljanovic, Bernarda Pera, and rising star Amanda Anisimova.
Vickery will appear in the qualifying draw beginning on Monday, and if she continues to play the way she did in Indian Wells there’s no reason why she won’t find herself in the main draw as the tournament closes out a 31-year run at Crandon Park.
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