[Blackbriar]

Sydney should be ATP 500; Halle/London should be ATP 500

[christallh24]

Don't know what would make a better season calendar, but I know I'd like more grass events. And defintely a longer off season for the players.

[Hewitt =Legend]

Originally Posted by Topspindoctor

No. AO is the worst slam by far. Best slams are Wimbledon and RG.

Is that because Nadal always wins them?

Originally Posted by Action Jackson

Fixing is always going to happen, but this time of year it happens quite a bit, along with some other small events earlier in the season, but that's a whole separate issue.

I don't agree about the AO specifically having great tennis, every Slam has their good matches. It's very easy to isolate 1 or 2 examples and think that carries for the majority, when it's not the case.

There are too many events and has been for years. Do you need me to go through the whole fitness base thing? A lot of the lower ranked players, need the cash so they are going to be playing more events, they are the ones that need to rest for a month and then have about 5/6 weeks heavy physical training load for the new season. Then once on tour, it will be about maintenance so they don't overplay, but that has already happened with Kavcic for example earlier in the year and he is on the edge of making it directly to the AO.

The top guys can get away with it, because they are playing less during the year cause their ranking allows them to be more selective when playing events.

Fair enough, I just feel the AO consistently produces the best matches, particulary in the early rounds.

I get your point about having a lower ranking means having to play more to earn a living and to get that ranking up to gain entry into the top events. But isn't that what you are meant to do? These guys are professional athletes, they should have to fight it out on the lower levels in order to gain the right to compete in the best tournaments with the best players. It's not really that bad, certainly not as brutal as some of the players make it out to be.

[Timariot]

Originally Posted by .-Federers_Mate-.

no its not. Jan is when the people flock melbourne park in the hot Aussie summer and make it the best tourney is the world. The Aussie swing is the best part of the tennis calender and it shall not be removed. Best mm tourneys there e.g brisbane,sydney and Ackland and the best exho e.g Hopman cup.

AO actually offers the best prize money these days, doesn't it? Their attendance has caught up with other Slams.

It would be great if the lead-in season would be little longer, but changes are difficult ot impossible to implement...

[Timariot]

Originally Posted by Action Jackson

Ricci Bitti is an arse clown of the highest order. Got to say I'm impressed with the rope comment, but tennis doesn't have competent people in charge of their game. Sure they aren't as bad as FIFA, but they can't get away with like those clowns cause of the status of tennis.

It is worth noting that ATP Tour was founded pretty much as a rebellion against the Grand Slams, which were viewed as hogging too much money. If you look at the prize money development of the Grand Prix circuit in the late '80s, it's pretty sad. I guess it's ironic that after 20 years, things are going back to that again.

Calendar does have issues, but they are difficult to fix. One of the main dilemma is that much of the prize money comes from Asia nowadays, but events there are not well estabilished and have poor attendances. You have to squeeze the Asian swing somewhere, but where. It would be ideal if they could be played before Australian Open, but how do you do that? What some fans propose - essentially give cold shoulder to Asia and concentrate on European clay/grass and US hardcourt seasons is not realistic. Sport needs broad, international appeal to survive: otherwise it will end up like LPGA.

It would be best if ITF, ATP and WTA could be merged to one organization which takes care of everything - GS, pro tours, Davis Cup, development series, juniors etc. But obviously this will never happen.

[Action Jackson]

Originally Posted by Timariot

It is worth noting that ATP Tour was founded pretty much as a rebellion against the Grand Slams, which were viewed as hogging too much money. If you look at the prize money development of the Grand Prix circuit in the late '80s, it's pretty sad. I guess it's ironic that after 20 years, things are going back to that again.

Isn't that always the way, they become the thing that they hate or what they were fighting against initially.

Calendar does have issues, but they are difficult to fix. One of the main dilemma is that much of the prize money comes from Asia nowadays, but events there are not well estabilished and have poor attendances. You have to squeeze the Asian swing somewhere, but where. It would be ideal if they could be played before Australian Open, but how do you do that? What some fans propose - essentially give cold shoulder to Asia and concentrate on European clay/grass and US hardcourt seasons is not realistic. Sport needs broad, international appeal to survive: otherwise it will end up like LPGA.

Ideally that would be the place to do it, but the ATP aren't very smart when it comes to niche marketing because the facts are that it is a niche sport and these Asian events won't get much better, as there is a lack of accessibility for most people.

It would be best if ITF, ATP and WTA could be merged to one organization which takes care of everything - GS, pro tours, Davis Cup, development series, juniors etc. But obviously this will never happen.

That will never happen at all, as for being under one organisation that has advantages and disadvantages, even then there will be some form of discontent.

[Mjau!]

Originally Posted by Action Jackson

Please don't listen Mjau, this individual has no clue about the history of the sport at all and why certain things have turned out the way they did.

Would you trust someone as competent when they say Safin is a poor mans Söderling?

Next of all the AO moving to January saved the event and turned it in the big money earner it is and the other Slams aren't moving their dates. So with this being the case, then it's easier to end the season in October or early November, as I have already posted in this thread numerous times.

Originally Posted by ACTION JACKSON!!!!

-If the season starts in Feb and then finish in November or start it in Jan and finish in October. It would work out to be 40 weeks, 37 included for DC, Slams and ATP tournaments, then the TMC and the Davis Cup final.


- The first 4 weeks would be lead in to the Aus Open with a TMS in the 3rd week, and then once the Aus Open in March is finished. This would include an event in South Africa in the 1st week of the season and Australia is within easy reach from there. That would be 6 weeks of hardcourt/Rebound Ace.

it's easier to end the season in October or early November

I said it should end in October. Pay attention.

But a 2 month off-season would still be very short...

[nobama]

Just curious....does anyone know how many events are going combined ATP/WTA next year? I would imagine future combined events would impact the schedule as it would require more coordination between ATP and WTA.

[Action Jackson]

Originally Posted by Mellow Yellow

Just curious....does anyone know how many events are going combined ATP/WTA next year? I would imagine future combined events would impact the schedule as it would require more coordination between ATP and WTA.

Not sure, but knowing the WTA as many as possible.

[nobama]

Originally Posted by Action Jackson

Not sure, but knowing the WTA as many as possible.

Just googled it - Rome, Canada and Cincy will be combined next year. That brings the total number of combined events to 20. With Canada the men will be in Montreal, women in Toronto same week.

[Action Jackson]

Originally Posted by Mellow Yellow

Just googled it - Rome, Canada and Cincy will be combined next year. That brings the total number of combined events to 20. With Canada the men will be in Montreal, women in Toronto same week.

Parasites.

[nobama]

Originally Posted by Action Jackson

Parasites.

Damn right.

[Matt01]

Originally Posted by Action Jackson

Parasites.

[spindoctor673]

RF said, "It’s a smart idea to cut the calendar short without hurting too many tournaments, and I hope that we can reach a good agreement there. I don’t remember the year finishing so late ever. But it’s what it is. I think if the season is long, you have more breaks in the season than you do normally, if you’re smart about it. If you ran after points and tournaments, it’s normal that the season becomes endless." Source: tennisnow.com
He makes such a good point- what sport has an endless season other than tennis. They need some rest so their isn't injuries all the time.

[Timariot]

Originally Posted by spindoctor673

RF said, "It’s a smart idea to cut the calendar short without hurting too many tournaments, and I hope that we can reach a good agreement there. I don’t remember the year finishing so late ever. But it’s what it is. I think if the season is long, you have more breaks in the season than you do normally, if you’re smart about it. If you ran after points and tournaments, it’s normal that the season becomes endless." Source: tennisnow.com
He makes such a good point- what sport has an endless season other than tennis. They need some rest so their isn't injuries all the time.

YEC is now roughly at the same place it was in the '90s, so the schedule is same as back then, except lighter in tournaments. In the '80s it was played in December, before that it was actually played in January as the calender was so crammed there was no room for it elsewhere! There also used to be two YEC's in the past, one for Grand Prix, one for WCT. When that ended, ITF came up with Grand Slam Cup so again there were two YEC's!