[IBM]

The ATP Stuttgart organisers, which I have just received per email, published just several minutes ago their statement about the delay of the RG tournament, which is discussed in following thread.

Stuttgart, April 8, 2021 - Surprised by the announcement of the organizers of the French Open to postpone the Grand Slam tournament in Paris by one week and to hold it now from May 30 to June 13, 2021, the e|motion group as organizer of the MercedesCup in Stuttgart showed up on Thursday. Surprised because the French Open hosts have presented the ATP or the ATP Tour Board with a fait accompli, although the postponement will now result in a date overlap with the grass court tournament at Stuttgart's Weissenhof, which is on the ATP calendar from June 5 to 13, 2021. In the coming days, the MercedesCup organizers will now evaluate the new situation with the ATP, TC Weissenhof and partners and sponsors.

"I would like to say in advance that we have created all the conditions for holding this year's MercedesCup. The grass courts at TC Weissenhof are in excellent condition and will be ready for play shortly. Due to the Corona pandemic, we are constantly confronted with new challenges, which currently demands great flexibility from the sports event industry. Nevertheless, we want to stick with the MercedesCup as the start of the grass season on the scheduled date of June 5-13," emphasizes MercedesCup tournament director and the CEO of the e|motion group, Edwin Weindorfer.

That's what they told officially and diplomatically. From what I've heard and read Weindorfer and co. are furious and upset by the egoist approach of the Slams once again despite the small tournaments sliding into bankruptcy.

 

[Budadiii]

IBM with the inside info per usual

 

[The Federest]

As in any walk of life, it's not OK to ride roughshod over the little guy.

Stuttgart has its place on the calendar and that should be respected.

The tennis community failed to stand up to the FFT bullies last year. Now it's time to give them a bloody nose.

 

[swiss_tennisgod]

I mean, TV viewers still have a choice.

Either watch Nadal push his way to another FO title, or actually some proper grass tennis in Stuttgart. I'm sure tennis fans will make the right choice.

 

[VyRa | esq.]

IBM with the inside info per usual

I expect it to be a roundmail for all the accredited press members from the past who were included for these official news statements regarding the tournament of Stuttgart which its press coordinator sends out to them. That is exactly the intention behind it to let the press spread it further to their readers and so on. It is good that we have that many users around who are engaged in a journalistic and/or free time way so that MTF is also recognised as an important platform / and place of delivery for these information from official sources.

 

[yellow grass]

And they pulled this crap again . Never reward a bully

 

[Roxitova]

What possible difference will one extra week make for the FO? I mean in terms of a benefit safety-wise? Maybe it will help them to better organized? Yet they did it with no fans last year ... Are they letting a small number of fans in?

 

[Phillo]

Sorry but in addition to ATP, i lay some of the blame on WB too as it has had the finances, prestige & sway for years preceding any pandemic to lobby for a more complete Grass season including at least one Grass M1000 to build up to the GS to help foster more competition on the surface. Instead, they're too narrow minded & selfish to think about the 'big picture' & as we saw last year, content enough to run off w/ their own loot & now other tournaments might get the shaft for this myopic mindset.

 

[EkVraNaamEnVan]

Refer to 2020 guys

 

[emotion]

ATP should hit RG with a points reduction, like 50% or something. Won't seriously curb the field due to prestige, but this is twice they've done this now.

 

[Phillo]

U mean 'refer' to the non existing '2020'.

 

[BauerAlmeida]

Hard to be surprised, last year they did whatever the hell they wanted already.

 

[guitarra]

I mean, TV viewers still have a choice.

Either watch Nadal push his way to another FO title, or actually some proper grass tennis in Stuttgart. I'm sure tennis fans will make the right choice.

I guarantee you 95% or more of the audience would choose Rafa.

 

[Tano27]

ATP should hit RG with a points reduction, like 50% or something. Won't seriously curb the field due to prestige, but this is twice they've done this now.

No, we all know GS are the most prestigious tournaments each year.
ATP 250 importance?
Give me a break!
🤭

 

[zjtennis]

Never realized about this. I agree that one week, while could stretch hope may not help as much but the effect on it on much smaller tournaments especially on grass is a big factor. RG already went rogue with holding it late last year when it isn't a consensus decision. The ITF/ATP synergy has really been off a while now.

 

[emotion]

No, we all know GS are the most prestigious tournaments each year.
ATP 250 importance?
Give me a break!
🤭

ATP can't let the slams just wreak havoc on their schedule whenever they like, there has to be some push-back.

 

[DjokoKing]

Is anyone genuinely surprised the worst slam continues to be the worst? Not me.

 

[nsh]

No, we all know GS are the most prestigious tournaments each year.
ATP 250 importance?
Give me a break!
🤭

True, currently ATP250/500 are just exhibitions for top players to get appearance fees.
And they almost don't count in the rankings of the best 20 players in the world


I would like for those tournaments to be more important, to ensure we have motivated players and good matches all-year round, but it's just impossible as it is.
To change this, we should first get rid of appearance fees at those tournaments, and then we should include in the ranking the 18 events where players got their highest number of points (regardless if they are coming from a Grand Slam, or an ATP250)

 

[CooCooCachoo]

The tournament director of Rosmalen/'s-Hertogenbosch is considering his options, including postponing the event or even cancelling it.

Uitstel Roland Garros slecht nieuws voor Rosmalen: 'Wordt complexe puzzel'

Toernooidirecteur Marcel Hunze houdt ondanks de nieuwe datum voor Roland Garros hoop dat het Libéma Open begin juni kan doorgaan. Het Grand Slam-toernooi in Parijs is met een week verplaatst en valt nu samen met het grastoernooi in Rosmalen.

www.nu.nl

 

[nsh]

The tournament director of Rosmalen/'s-Hertogenbosch is considering his options, including postponing the event or even cancelling it.

Uitstel Roland Garros slecht nieuws voor Rosmalen: 'Wordt complexe puzzel'

Toernooidirecteur Marcel Hunze houdt ondanks de nieuwe datum voor Roland Garros hoop dat het Libéma Open begin juni kan doorgaan. Het Grand Slam-toernooi in Parijs is met een week verplaatst en valt nu samen met het grastoernooi in Rosmalen.

www.nu.nl

Well now there is a free week between Geneva/Lyon and FO

Joke aside, they should seriously considering it:

1) FO and Stuttgart/Rosmalen are definetely aimed at different kind of players.

2) In the past, with the Davis Cup and clay tournaments in automn, players were used to switching surfaces way more often, and it was not such a big deal