[NATAS81]

Originally Posted by Neely

Sure, or do you have any reasons why there shouldn't be more grass events? At least in theory, even though it's in practise most likely not realisable to have a fair balance?

Oh, no wait!! I've got the answer, it's because Wimbledon and Roland Garros are so close to each other and playing more grass events way before or after Wimbledon wouldn't work because it would make Wimbledon less special. But why is the same done with with, for example, RG and the clay events spread over the whole year?

Maybe because clay stays crappy all year long, and grass has to be seasoned during the summer?

[Neely]

Originally Posted by NATAS81

Maybe because clay stays crappy all year long, and grass has to be seasoned during the summer?

Sure, the maintenance problem with grass is given.

[Action Jackson]

Originally Posted by Neely

The majority of ISG events are on surfaces other than grass, other than carpet, too.

4 on clay and 5 on hardcourts, but there are major events on grass and carpet, so no it hasn't been totally neglected.

So your wording has changed now, since the conclusion that indoors isn't a specific surface.

Considering we have 4 surfaces, and 4 out of 9 ISG events are played on clay, one surface of four in total, there is not much to complain about clay not getting enough respected.

I still see you haven't tried to counteract the fact that 4 out of 14 of the biggest events are on clay, so this means 10 are on grass, carpet and hardcourt, the vast majority are on hardcourt, that is what it's about the Slams and TMS are the events that truly count, so yes 4 out of 14 is truly dominating.

The differentiation should not be whether slow or not, clay and non-clay as you put this numbers; at best, the events should be balanced between all four surfaces.

There isn't a way I put the numbers, as those numbers are factual and so is the surface representation, how you choose to read them is for your own interpretation.

Who is going to fund the development for extra grasscourts being laid down? Is it going to be with countries that they can grow them in greenhouses, when the weather is too harsh outside to maintain them all year around.

Since the tour shouldn't be concentrated only in certain places, there is a chance that certain places would have less opportunities to host events, and how is that beneficial, if more people want to see the game.

[Action Jackson]

Originally Posted by cleverdutchclogs

As it is, clay court players are able to pick a schedule 'which suits them 100 per cent' whereas hard court players are not allowed this luxury for 15 consecutive weeks.

Another myth and why. There are 4 weeks at the start of the year to play on hardcourts, then after that a player could easily not play on clay until after Miami, as is there choice.

After RG, it's just as easy not to play on clay, it's something that Hewitt, Henman, Roddick, T.Johansson, PimPim and Agassi have managed to do quite successfully, so don't give me this line.

Then for 2 weeks after the US Open, there aren't clay events, but it's just as easy not to play on clay, but hey we can't have that, as it's only these players benefitting.

Too much tennis on hardcourts already has led to an increase in injuries, but that's probably another myth.

[Jimnik]

Extending from the idea of an AMS event in Asia, I think there are many parts of the calendar which need to be changed. At the moment, many events are too close together. They're all in North America and Western Europe and some of them are back-to-back (eg Rome/Hamburg and Canada/Cincy).
Here is my proposal:

Jan AUSTRALIAN OPEN - Hard
Feb AMS Buenos Aires - Clay
Mar AMS Monte-Carlo - Clay
Apr AMS Rome - Clay
May ROLAND GARROS - Clay
Jun AMS Hamburg - Grass
Jun WIMBLEDON - Grass
Jul AMS Indian Wells - Hard
Aug AMS Miami - Hard
Sep US OPEN - Hard
Oct AMS Tokyo/Beijing/Moscow - Indoors
Oct AMS Madrid - Indoors
Nov TENNIS MASTERS CUP

Everyone complains about the short grass court season - the gap between RG and Wimby. So why not move the German Open from May to June and change the surface from clay to grass. This way, there can be at least 1 AMS grass event and the grass court season can last 1 extra week.

South America clearly loves tennis and they have plenty of players in the top 100. Surely Argentina can host an AMS event to help encourage Federer, Hewitt, Roddick and Safin to play in South America. It could be held at the end of February, say 4 weeks after the Aus Open.

IW and Miami are known as the 5th and 6th slams so, instead of scrapping them, let them replace Canada/Cincy in August.

And, off course, an AMS event in Asia should be held either in Japan or China or possibly Russia. But I think Spain deserves a Masters Series event so keep Madrid Indoors at the end of the season.

[RogerRocks]

for some reason I like it. Hamburg as a grass tournament sounds cool. Buenos Aires is a good thing too.

However, if u want to move Indian Wells and Miami to the summer hard court cirquit, does this mean the traditional summer cirquit tournaments had to be moved to spring??

[lorenz]

Your proposition is very nice, especially (AMS Buenos Aires)
but the players only have one moth of vacation. They need two moths at least.

[Galaxystorm]

Hamburg tournament on grass ?? . why not Halle as a TMS ??

[amierin]

Great starting point. It ends the year earlier so that the players have a real off season.

[revolution]

Not too bad- but to design a proper calendar you need the minority events included too and actually build from scratch. My calendar was this.

Week1- Adelaide, Doha
Week2- Auckland, Sydney
Week3-4 Australian Open
Week 5- Davis Cup World Group
Week 6- Beijing, Chennai
Week 7- Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City
Week 8- TMS Tokyo (hardcourt)
Week 9- Davis Cup Quarter Finals
Week 10- Vina del Mar, Valencia, Umag
Week 11- Palermo, Casablanca, Buenos Aires
Week 12- TMS Monte Carlo
Week 13- Barcelona, St Polten, Gstaad
Week 14- Bastad, Costa du Sauipe, Houston
Week 15- TMS Rome
Week 16- Kitzbuhel, Stuttgart, Acapulco
Week17-18 Roland Garros
Week 19- Newport, Liverpool (yeah go on bring ATP tennis here)
Week 20- TMS London
Week 21- TMS Halle
Week 22- s'hertogenbosch
week 23-24 Wimbledon
Week 25- Indianapolis
Week 26- Los Angeles, Miami ATP (not a TMS)
Week 27- Cincinnati ATP (no longer a TMS)
Week 28- Montreal/Toronto TMS
Week 29- Indian Wells TMS
Week 30- Washington DC
Week 31- New Haven
Week 32-33 US Open
Week 34- Marseille, Moscow
Week 35- Belgrade (new), Milan
Week 36- Davis Cup World Group playoffs/semis
Week 37- Lyon, Stockholm
Week 38- Rotterdam, St Petersburg
Week 39- TMS Madrid
Week 40- Basel, Vienna
Week 41- TMS Paris
Week 42-43- Tennis Masters Cup
Week 44- Davis Cup Final


Some will have complaints about this but I think it's fair. Less clay court events and also less hard court events, and more grass and a bit more indoor. That's how it should be.

[Jimnik]

Originally Posted by lorenz

Your proposition is very nice, especially (AMS Buenos Aires)
but the players only have one moth of vacation. They need two moths at least.

Well, technically the vacation is in December.
There have always been tournaments in February but they were International Series. Off course, they can choose to skip the AMS event if they want to but usually Federer, Nadal, Roddick and Safin play at this time of year so I don't think it will be a problem.

[alfonsojose]

i was expecting naked pics on this thread

January - Rainer
February - Gambill ...

[ys]

Originally Posted by Jimnik

Feb AMS Buenos Aires - Clay

Too hot..

Originally Posted by Jimnik

Mar AMS Monte-Carlo - Clay
Apr AMS Rome - Clay

Too cold.

Originally Posted by Jimnik

Jul AMS Indian Wells - Hard
Aug AMS Miami - Hard

Have you been to those areas in that season?

[TheBoiledEgg]

Miami in Aug
in Hurricane season

Indian Wells in Jul/Aug, you really want the players to kill themselves.

next thing will be to have an tournament like Dubai in July
now that would be torture.
you find walking outside around the block a real problem.

[amierin]

Not too bad- but to design a proper calendar you need the minority events included too and actually build from scratch. My calendar was this.

Week1- Adelaide, Doha
Week2- Auckland, Sydney
Week3-4 Australian Open
Week 5- Davis Cup World Group
Week 6- Beijing, Chennai
Week 7- Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City
Week 8- TMS Tokyo (hardcourt)
Week 9- Davis Cup Quarter Finals
Week 10- Vina del Mar, Valencia, Umag
Week 11- Palermo, Casablanca, Buenos Aires
Week 12- TMS Monte Carlo
Week 13- Barcelona, St Polten, Gstaad
Week 14- Bastad, Costa du Sauipe, Houston
Week 15- TMS Rome
Week 16- Kitzbuhel, Stuttgart, Acapulco
Week17-18 Roland Garros
Week 19- Newport, Liverpool (yeah go on bring ATP tennis here)
Week 20- TMS London
Week 21- TMS Halle
Week 22- s'hertogenbosch
week 23-24 Wimbledon
Week 25- Indianapolis
Week 26- Los Angeles, Miami ATP (not a TMS)
Week 27- Cincinnati ATP (no longer a TMS)
Week 28- Montreal/Toronto TMS
Week 29- Indian Wells TMS
Week 30- Washington DC
Week 31- New Haven
Week 32-33 US Open
Week 34- Marseille, Moscow
Week 35- Belgrade (new), Milan
Week 36- Davis Cup World Group playoffs/semis
Week 37- Lyon, Stockholm
Week 38- Rotterdam, St Petersburg
Week 39- TMS Madrid
Week 40- Basel, Vienna
Week 41- TMS Paris
Week 42-43- Tennis Masters Cup
Week 44- Davis Cup Final


Some will have complaints about this but I think it's fair. Less clay court events and also less hard court events, and more grass and a bit more indoor. That's how it should be.

I've always felt that clay, grass and hardcourt events should be more evenly distriubuted throughout the year. I think the indoor events are fine as they are now though.