Talk About Tennis 2.0

ponchi101 wrote: ↑Wed Apr 05, 2023 11:11 pm How about the opposite? The doubles players that want to play the qualies or main draws of tournaments? Would that be bad then?

I think it's different because, presumably, they do put in the effort and take those matches seriously.

mmmm8 wrote: ↑Thu Apr 06, 2023 3:25 pm

ponchi101 wrote: ↑Wed Apr 05, 2023 11:11 pm How about the opposite? The doubles players that want to play the qualies or main draws of tournaments? Would that be bad then?

I think it's different because, presumably, they do put in the effort and take those matches seriously.

Ok. I can see that, and it would make a difference.
Then I wonder what the solution for doubles would be. And I have no proper suggestions.

Fastbackss wrote: ↑Thu Apr 06, 2023 2:23 am I just listened to interview with Reilly Opelka (Shapiro) and he had some pointed comments on doubles. Needs to be blown up as is - had a suggestion of a format that for most tournaments is just 3 days.
Said it doesn't justify the costs and that go into it (for lesser tournaments like 250's) and that doesn't sell tickets.

Not saying I agree but it was interesting to hear his opinion (on many subjects, frankly). Was a good listen

This feels like a "be careful what you wish for" to me. Getting rid of doubles or greatly reducing it would reshape the sport in ways that singles players such as Opelka haven't fully thought about if I had to take a guess. Also, I don't think Reilly has ever lacked for financial support in any appreciable way, so he speaks from a privileged point of view on several fronts.

ponchi101 wrote: ↑Thu Apr 06, 2023 3:43 pm

mmmm8 wrote: ↑Thu Apr 06, 2023 3:25 pm

ponchi101 wrote: ↑Wed Apr 05, 2023 11:11 pm How about the opposite? The doubles players that want to play the qualies or main draws of tournaments? Would that be bad then?

I think it's different because, presumably, they do put in the effort and take those matches seriously.

Ok. I can see that, and it would make a difference.
Then I wonder what the solution for doubles would be. And I have no proper suggestions.

If the powers that be would stop treating doubles as a trivial and unimportant afterthought, and began marketing it efficiently, that would certainly help.

Tennis marketing itself correctly? Surely you jest.

Ruud may want to double check Diego's ranking

The way he's been playing this year he might not even win on the challenger.

He is back on clay, and he just demolished Baez, who is a good clay courter. So maybe, just maybe, he is off the funk.
But I see your point. For somebody that has not been playing well as of late, using other players as an example or early losers was a little bit funny.

Not really. Not withstanding being wrong about Diego's current ranking, he's pointing out that someone like him can return home without much trouble with that 2 week schedule and it not be a hassle, but an American or an Argentinian can't do it as easily.

And I don't think Madrid and Rome serve the same organizational purposes that Indian Wells and Miami do for both tours either, which is not talked about a ton, but a big part of that planning as well.

I did not glimpse the geography of the situation. You're right.

I mean can we give these young men a few years to even establish a rivalry worth the name?

No Slams defended since 2017. How deep is this tour.

https://www.tennis.com/news/articles/is ... crossroads
a pretty fair and insightful article, better than Tennis.com' s usual standard! worth a read if you havent seen it..