Ex-Wimbledon semifinalist Malisse among wild-card entries
LONDON -- Frenchman Jeremy Chardy and Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro gained wild cards for Wimbledon on Tuesday after their impressive displays at the French Open.
The 21-year-old Chardy knocked Argentine sixth seed David Nalbandian out of Roland Garros during a run to the fourth round and has been rewarded with one of eight wild-card spots in the men's singles draw.
Former Wimbledon semifinalist Xavier Malisse of Belgium will also benefit from a wild card as he battles back from a wrist injury that kept him out for most of last year and sent him plummeting down the rankings.
Canada's Frank Dancevic and Britain's Alex Bogdanovic and Jamie Baker were also handed wild cards with three more still to be decided.
Suarez Navarro heads the list of women's wild cards. The 19-year-old from the Canary Islands was the surprise package in Paris where she came through qualifying before reaching the quarterfinals.
British hopefuls Katie O'Brien, Elena Baltacha, Melanie South and Naomi Cavaday have also been handed spots in the women's draw along with Poland's Urszula Radwanska.
Wimbledon begins on June 22.
