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Re: Re: TennisReporters Newsletter - Doubles ctd. |
| Name: |
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Andrew |
| Date Posted: |
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Sep 2, 05 - 1:54 PM |
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"They're not the voices of what we do," echoed Paes. "Tell me, if Carbonell was a doubles player ranked No. 70 in the world, do you think he'd cut himself down? If you put [ATP CEO] Mark Miles in that place, would he cut himself down? At the end of the day, if you go to any club in any part of the world – from Fiji to Hawaii to the East Coast, West Coast of America to Europe to India to Asia – and ask any club player what they play, I guarantee you the answer would be doubles."
On the surface, it appears a bit naive to believe that the ATP's changes will suddenly attract the likes of Roger Federer, Andy Roddick and Lleyton Hewitt. With competition becoming stiffer each year, with longer, more arduous schedules (think no real off-season) and more at risk in terms of both injuries, money and ranking points, tennis will likely never return to the days when a player like John McEnroe can collect 77 singles titles and 77 doubles titles. That's not to say the doubles game isn't ripe for change. But the top doubles specialists assert they want more of a say in shaping the future of their livelihood.
"We'll do it on our own terms," said Mike Bryan. "We don't want to be pushed around."
The top doubles players have been holding clandestine meetings since Cincinnati and plan to sound off on Friday at the US Open when they collectively host a we're-mad-as-hell-and-we're-not-going-to-take-it-anymore press conference at the USTA National Tennis Center.
Don't expect a boycott (they say that the Grand Slams are still supporting doubles), but don't be surprised if the group threatens legal action like Wayne Ferreira and Laurence Tieleman did in 2003 with their breakaway International Men's Tennis Association, a group that pushed for more autonomy. Of course, the IMTA's demands fell on deaf ears. Will the outcry of the doubles specialists do the same. |
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