steven wrote:

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Failing to put those semis on back to back seems pretty unforgiveable unless they expected nobody to turn up and watch. It's bad enough that they clearly don't advertise the possibility of spectating at events like this, but to limit the potential for even those who do bother to turn up seems crazy, unless there is a good reason for it that we don't know about.

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As you say, seems pretty unforgiveable.  But I believe RJA is right in saying it seems pretty common practice with the LTA.

As salmon says, understandable if forecast was bad, but this certainly seems not the case today.

Re Mad's pont about same rest for each player before the final - they don't have such concerns in ATP and indeed Masters events where the final is the next day ( spectators for one would not accept that ), so no reason LTA should be having it for futures, over and above spectating issues.  In any event, in this case, Eaton / Goodall were playing a doubles final later anyway. 

I am guessing, that as I have heard before with LTA events, this event was not particularly advertised at all in the local area to actually encourage more non club spectators.  And the ridiculous OoP with the two semis on at once would hardly have encouraged anyone to travel, even if as in this forum they were well aware of the event.

As Steven says, just no apparent reason, and if this is indeed not unusual / fairly standard practice, it is time it was seriously queried with the LTA.