It does look to have been a good warm up event for the Aus Open.
I did wonder about the top players not having a KO warm-up event, assuming most would not play in the week before the Aus Open.
But the format has given at least 3, often very competitive, matches to all the very top players with the entry criteria based on nations' top player ranking giving them all the opportunity with such a diverse upper ranking list ( ie no nations say have 3 in the top 10 so no really high ranked players loses out, and while sympathising with say Reilly Opelka, that's not quite the same ).
For a variety of reasons I think entry by top ranking is best here.
a) the level playing field of opportunity to the top players in the lead up to the Aus Open.
b) the level playing field in access to ATP ranking points ( although strong back up helps go further ).
( OK, for a) and b) there could be a regular ATP 250 fall back for players but I still think that would still leave quite an element of being left out of the party, without even mentioning money ).
c) it distiinquishes the entry criteria from the ( not the ) Davis Cup, and one would have to feel sorry if a top player couldn't get entry into either because of where he came from.
d) yes, there has been some clear variation but the tournament has not really suffered from totally out of depth #2 singles and doubles players.
Essentially for me it largely works in its current format at this time.
The issue is more having that quite similar ( not the ) Davis Cup tournament at the end of the year ( within 2 months before ). Maybe as wolf suggests we could have some sort of more distinctive nations tournament involving home and away teams instead of the ( not the ) Davis Cup and just the one with the ATP Cup kind of format.
Agreed, both this and the davis cup week engaged me enormously.
For me, we just dont need two of them, so they should merge clearly, and my proposal is above.
I'm not bothered about home and away ties now, things move on and I dont think this new structure will disappear so best get on with making the most of it.
With nadal and djoko at back end of 2nd set, if it goes to it could easily be past 1130 pm when they finish. As both will play doubles, that will be a past midnight start to the final doubles decider. Discuss.
With nadal and djoko at back end of 2nd set, if it goes to it could easily be past 1130 pm when they finish. As both will play doubles, that will be a past midnight start to the final doubles decider. Discuss.
Djoko wins and in 2 sets, but it will still be a while before the decider. All to play for
Spain go with lopez to partner PCB, Nadal not playing. Djoko and Troicki for Serbia
Surprised at Nadal not playing dubs but as he explained his energy low etc and it was team decision. This Spanish pair are very strong anyway and I'm guessing still favourites.
With nadal and djoko at back end of 2nd set, if it goes to it could easily be past 1130 pm when they finish. As both will play doubles, that will be a past midnight start to the final doubles decider. Discuss.
Jet lag and travel fatigue produce their own challenges, but I was wondering whether the age of the older players is also an issue? As Nadal said in the press conference following his loss to Novak, he has played a lot of matches in this tournament...... Conditions have been oppressive, with high humidity and for me Rafa seemed to lack energy in some of the games. Maybe at 33, age is a factor in recovery compared to the younger players??
Wish that Serbian fan would get rid of that effing horn though!!
Yes but I like the partizan support, there does seem to be a reasonable Serbian turn out. I wonder if there has been considerable migration from the Balkans to places like Australia, I can't believe they have all travelled. In terms of attendance, commentators suggesting 220,000 over the course of the competition but then also said the place was packed when there is visibly lots of empty seats. Some matches had very low attendance, fudging figures me thinks.
Wish that Serbian fan would get rid of that effing horn though!!
Yes but I like the partizan support, there does seem to be a reasonable Serbian turn out. I wonder if there has been considerable migration from the Balkans to places like Australia, I can't believe they have all travelled. In terms of attendance, commentators suggesting 220,000 over the course of the competition but then also said the place was packed when there is visibly lots of empty seats. Some matches had very low attendance, fudging figures me thinks.
Having said that I agree Jaffa the tennis has been excellent. This dubs is very high standard and I'm resolved to think that when the top singles players turn to dubs they can out play the regular dubs players. We have seen this several times over at this event and the DC. Our own regular dubs have suffered this at both events.
Wish that Serbian fan would get rid of that effing horn though!!
Yes but I like the partizan support, there does seem to be a reasonable Serbian turn out. I wonder if there has been considerable migration from the Balkans to places like Australia, I can't believe they have all travelled. In terms of attendance, commentators suggesting 220,000 over the course of the competition but then also said the place was packed when there is visibly lots of empty seats. Some matches had very low attendance, fudging figures me thinks.
Having said that I agree Jaffa the tennis has been excellent. This dubs is very high standard and I'm resolved to think that when the top singles players turn to dubs they can out play the regular dubs players. We have seen this several times over at this event and the DC. Our own regular dubs have suffered this at both events.
Thinking through, clearly a casualty of the new format, which allows fresher singles to play dubs. The old DC format make it exhausting for top players to play upto 5sets over three consecutive days, preserving day2 dubs for dubs players in many cases.
Wish that Serbian fan would get rid of that effing horn though!!
Yes but I like the partizan support, there does seem to be a reasonable Serbian turn out. I wonder if there has been considerable migration from the Balkans to places like Australia, I can't believe they have all travelled. In terms of attendance, commentators suggesting 220,000 over the course of the competition but then also said the place was packed when there is visibly lots of empty seats. Some matches had very low attendance, fudging figures me thinks.
Big Serbian emigrant community in western Sydney apparently and wiki as it that 28,000 Serbs in Sydney at 2001 census.