There are certain things you knew were going to happen around Wimbledon time this year. As sure as the nation falling in love with strawberries and cream was the collapse of the Lawn Tennis Association's wildcard recommendations into acrimony and confusion.
The governing body always sounded woolly about their stated policy of only putting forward players aged over 18 with a ranking above 250. Now one has gone to Jamie Baker (259) but not Alex Bogdanovic (161) or Edgbaston quarter-finalist James Ward.
I understand that last year, when Boggo received his eighth wildcard, the LTA explicitly told Wimbledon it would be their last request for one without significant progression in his career.
So when they came begging on his behalf again this time, the All England Club - in whose gift wildcards lie - decided enough was enough.
It was yet another example of the lack of joined-up thinking at the LTA. But in Ward's case, I find it hard to agree with the howls of protest directed at them after his excellent performances on the south coast.
The Londoner's ranking was 209 when wildcards were handed out last year and 12 months on it was 344, a substantial fall.
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It was widely reported that this was because he had been 'out for six months' with glandular fever, but that is simply not true. He only missed the period between mid-September and the end of December, much of which is the off-season anyway.
Should his fall in ranking have been rewarded with a wildcard if the LTA is trying to end the freebie culture? Some people seem to want it both ways.
Amid all the wildcard brouhaha, what has barely been commented upon is the decision by British No 4 Naomi Cavaday to turn one down for the main draw. This looked even more daft when she was bundled out of the second round of qualifying at Roehampton, which she chose to enter.
Cavaday, ranked 192, not only missed the chance of playing at Wimbledon, but also the qualifiers at Eastbourne. For what? She has the rest of the year to trawl the minor leagues.
The 21-year-old is one of our most naturally talented players, but her career has stagnated over the past two years. Either she made this bad decision herself, or she needs to look at the advice she is getting, presumably from coach Rob Smith.
Bogdanovic has not always helped himself, but should be proud of his efforts on Wednesday, when he lost a deciding set 24-22 in the second round of qualifying against Frenchman Nicolas Mahut. Both played outstandingly in a nightmare draw.
The British player looked dejected as he warmed down on the cricket outfield at the Bank of England ground. He did not get a wildcard from the All England Club, but chairman Tim Phillips crossed the pitch to shake his hand and console him. A classy touch.
Epic: Alex Bogdanovic lost to Nicolas Mahut in Wimbledon qualifyingOne of the gutsiest British defeats at Wimbledon last year was that of Georgie Stoop, who fell 6-4 in a deciding set to then world No 7 Vera Zvonareva.
You could be forgiven for thinking she had vanished, as her name has. In fact, she is still there as Georgie Gent, ranked 292.
'My mother remarried two years ago and I wanted to change my name to that of my stepfather,' said Georgie, who is out until August with a stress fracture in her foot.
'I've been meaning to do it for a long time, but I use my passport so much that until I got injured there was no time to take it in and get the necessary alterations done.'
Make Roger wait his turn to play Plum draw: Roger Federer is usually scheduled to play the day's first match on Centre CourtRoger Federer is my somewhat unadventurous pick to win Wimbledon, and could probably still do it even if they put him on at 6am or under the roof at 11pm.
What he does not need is the beneficial treatment he got from the order of play committee last year, putting him on Centre Court as the first match six times out of seven. One day he had to wait for a women's singles to finish, the poor soul.
However respected the great man is, always knowing when and where you are playing - and when to eat, warm up, etc - is a distinct advantage where others have to wait around or play on different courts.
Some tennis people think Federer gets plenty of favourable scheduling at tournaments, particularly at the All England Club, where he is a venerated member. But nobody likes to say it.
It would be fairer if he at least had to wait his turn a few times and play the odd late match, as Andy Murray has to do most of the time due to television demands.
Brit Of The Week (an Andy Murray-free zone)Heather Watson and Elena Baltacha were contenders - but for providing some rare achievement among British men it has to be Eastbourne quarter-finalist James Ward.
The 23-year-old Londoner first took out Feliciano Lopez and then scored a career-best win over former Wimbledon semi-finalist Rainer Schuettler.
Had it come just a week or two earlier, it would surely have secured him a Wimbledon wildcard entry.
