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For those of you who were left confused. Sorry if this was already posted.
USA Network Pulled the Plug
By THE NEW YORK TIMES
Published: September 7, 2005
The USA Network left some tennis fans confused Monday night when it left the Robby Ginepri-Richard Gasquet United States Open match in the third set to join its regularly scheduled showing of "Law & Order: SVU" at 11 p.m.
But Monday night, Gordon Beck, USA's executive producer for sports, said he determined that the slow pace of the three-hour Ginepri-Gasquet match made it unlikely that it would end at a reasonable time. When USA broke away, each player had won a set, with the third set just starting. "My judgment was that it would take a long time to complete the next two sets, let alone a fifth set," Beck said.
He said USA received about 30 calls to protest his decision.
The last part of Ginepri's five-set victory was seen on CBS's late-night tennis show, which begins at 12:37 a.m.
Beck said if one of the players had been Andre Agassi or Roger Federer, USA would have stayed past 11 "because you know it would have been a broader audience."
USA Network Pulled the Plug
By THE NEW YORK TIMES
Published: September 7, 2005
The USA Network left some tennis fans confused Monday night when it left the Robby Ginepri-Richard Gasquet United States Open match in the third set to join its regularly scheduled showing of "Law & Order: SVU" at 11 p.m.
But Monday night, Gordon Beck, USA's executive producer for sports, said he determined that the slow pace of the three-hour Ginepri-Gasquet match made it unlikely that it would end at a reasonable time. When USA broke away, each player had won a set, with the third set just starting. "My judgment was that it would take a long time to complete the next two sets, let alone a fifth set," Beck said.
He said USA received about 30 calls to protest his decision.
The last part of Ginepri's five-set victory was seen on CBS's late-night tennis show, which begins at 12:37 a.m.
Beck said if one of the players had been Andre Agassi or Roger Federer, USA would have stayed past 11 "because you know it would have been a broader audience."
