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Re: Taking Case To Court: Doubles Players Sue ATP |
| Name: |
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Andrew |
| Date Posted: |
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Sep 3, 05 - 6:41 PM |
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They're often relegated to working in the outer courts of tournament sites, but today many of the world's top doubles players seized center stage in an effort try to save their jobs, protect their game and preserve a piece of the tennis landscape. Several highly-ranked doubles players have joined forces as plaintiffs in filing a lawsuit in a Southern District Texas Federal Court against the ATP and members of its board of directors.
The lawsuit, which was filed on September 1st, alleges that the ATP's proposed experimental efforts to "enhance" doubles competition is in fact a concerted effort by tournament directors to diminish and eventually eliminate doubles players' ability to gain entry into main draws as a cost-cutting measure to save the tournament's money. The international law firm of Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. and the Houston-based firm of Ellis, Carstarphen, Dougherty & Goldenthal P.C. filed suit on behalf of many of the top doubles players, identifying them in court papers as a "submarket" of the men's professonal tour and alleging that the ATP's directors have "violated their fiduciary obligations to the players by enacting rules that prevent doubles players from competing, contrary to the express wishes of the players."
Furthermore, the suit seeks an injunction to "stop the ATP's and its directors' alleged unlawful and anticompetitive conduct against athletes who excel in doubles. The players charge the ATP and its directors with antitrust violations and breaches of fiduciary duties."
Grand Slam doubles champions Mark Knowles, Bob Bryan, Mike Bryan, Mahesh Bhupathi and Jonas Bjorkman were among the players who joined their attorneys in speaking at today's 10 a.m. press conference inside Arthur Ashe Stadium to announce the lawsuit. The players voiced their opposition to the ATP's new experimental scoring system that will go into effect his fall and shrink doubles sets to five games rather than six with a tiebreaker at 4-4. Additionally, an ATP initiative proposed to go into effect in 2008 would permit only the top six to eight doubles teams entry into tournaments, while denying lower-ranked doubles players entry into in tournaments if they did not also qualify for the singles draws.
Because many of the top doubles players do not play singles events, they contend the proposed enhancements would effectively eradicate several doubles specialists and jeopardize the integrity of the game.
"There is no credibility left for the ATP," Knowles said. "They are basically trying to annihilate one form of the game, which is doubles."
Essentially, the players are suing the very union that was created to represent them and believe the ATP is placing the interests of tournament directors above its own players when it comes to doubles. It is an economic issue in that tournament directors want to save money, while players want to preserve their jobs. Knowles said doubles players have made repeated concessions over the years and have come to the conclusion that taking their case to court — and making a case for preserving jobs for doubles players through the media to he tennis fan base — is the only recourse to spare doubles specialists a death sentence.
"My stance on it is we have to fight," Knowles said. "This time when the tournament directors were shooting they wanted to see how many bullets were in the gun. When I discussed the 2008 initiatives (at a recent ATP meeting) half to three quarters of the tournament directors in the room had no idea what I was referring to. I really get the feeling there are two or three people totally speaking for the bunch. "
In an interview with Tennis Week, recently-appointed ATP President, Europe Horst Klosterkemper, said doubles does not draw the crowds that singles does and suggested doubles controversy, rather than competition, is what commands coverage from the media.
"You tennis people have to admit that the fish and not the angler has to enjoy the bait," Klosterkemper told Tennis Week. "Daily newspapers only cover controversy, not the game of doubles. It really hurt my heart to see at a Grand Slam doubles event when 90 percent of the people did not stay for the men’s doubles finals [this year's match at Roland Garros where the No. 3 seed team of Jonas Bjorkman/Max Mirnyi defeated the No. 2 seed Bryan brothers] after the women’s semifinals and half of the people in stands at Roland Garros left after first set. The doubles issue has been on the table nine years and it has not been fixed in a way that enhances situation of doubles at all. It came to a point where we had to make a decision where we had to enhance the product of doubles." |
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