Defending champ Maria 'surprised' at Queen's wildcard snub

Defending champion Tatjana Maria was surprised not to receive a wildcard for this year's HSBC Championships but has been overwhelmed by the positive response from members at Queen's Club.

Women's tennis returned to Queen's for the first time since 1973 and saw mother-of-two Maria produce a sensational run to win the WTA 500 event and with it an honorary lifetime membership.

However, the German missed out on a wildcard after all four were awarded to British players and instead she had to win two matches on Sunday to qualify, which delighted her daughters Charlotte and Cecilia.

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"I think with all the respect of what I did last year, I was pretty sure to get a wildcard or I was hoping to get a wildcard," Maria said.

"It was not, like, five years ago, it was last year and especially this tournament and to come back like a champion, I hoped and I thought I would get a wildcard.

"I was surprised when I got the message of (tournament director) Laura Robson saying all the wildcards would go to the British players, which I understand of course but you know as a champion, it's tough for me (to accept).

"Of course I am in the tournament, I won yesterday the two matches but it is only the fact I am a champion and with the respect, for me I thought I deserved a wildcard.

"Yesterday I wanted to win also for my girls to stay as long as possible because they really love to be here and they love the tournament.

"The response from everybody around was really huge when they knew I didn't get the wildcard and even a lot of members here. They came to me and said, 'really we don't understand why you didn't get the wildcard', so it was super nice."

British quartet Katie Boulter, Fran Jones, Harriet Dart and teenager Mika Stojsavljevic received wildcards from Robson and the Lawn Tennis Association.

"The LTA owns and invests in staging these events for the benefit of the British game as a whole - so fans can see world-class international players from around the world and support our British players," an LTA spokesperson said.

"We have seen British success at these events and breakthrough wins, so there is clear value in giving British players these development opportunities."

Maria does believe a rethink is required if a similar situation occurs, and men's champion Feliciano Lopez earned a wildcard in 2019.

"It is something that should be normal. If you are champion of an event and you don't get in the year after, I think automatically this (wildcard) should be considered. It's something out of respect," Maria said.

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