2019 Magic – New chorus line?
The chances of local Tennis champions being known in a small town in Sri Lanka is very remote. Recognising them in person is even more remote.
However, even small towns, know the best Tennis players of the world. Even up to the ranking of 10 in Women and Men. The reason is, they get to see and read about them great deal more than the locals. Another is, locals are not seen in the international professional arenas. The high quality of the game world class players exhibit is appealing and available round the clock. The dynamics in the information available influences popularity.
Few decades ago, Wimbledon semifinalists Ramanathan Krishnan, Iftikar Ahamad, and many other Grand Slam players have played on our SLTA Court No.1. Our standard then being good, we were in their highway. It is no more so in Asia. Few emerging nations are attracting them with prize money, which most cannot afford.
Davis-Cup
Davis Cup brought the big names of Tennis to the Island most of the time. Davis-Cup in its origin in 1900 by Dwight Davis, had the same appeal as WTA and ATP events of today. Today, the best in the world do not want to be in their national Davis-Cup team. There are better options. The professional Tennis tour is crowded enough with enough dollars to earn. Davis-Cup failed the players here very badly in this aspect. Many national Associations use the Davis-Cup annual funds to cover their financial deficit and not pay for expenses incurred by the players.
The end effect is the Tennis Davis-Cup exhibited was an appalling local junior standard in most parts of their global pyramid format.
Exhibition format
This was noticed and sports entrepreneurs developed exhibition formats to cash in. India had one and now, another has come to being, The Laver-Cup. These are crisp simple and continent minded. Even the game formats are short and do not exert the players too much. What’s more, it uses well-known names and are well paid. Still, it is only exhibition Tennis and not competition format. It does not influence world ranking.
Unable to survive, Davis-Cup has decided to change their event to a more practical downgraded format. In this platform of Tennis, eventually, only one such event will survive. From what is known, even the Fed-Cup for Women will change its approach. Earlier, ITF was the only Bandmaster which played the Tennis tunes. Now WTA and ATP are the 2 most powerful global Tennis player bodies. Their music dominates. Players and venues are eager to oblige them a great deal more.
New Davis-Cup format
The original Davis-Cup was a tedious and serious Tennis competition. It had 4 Singles and a Doubles. It was best of 5 Sets and played over 3 days. Many matches went to 5 Sets and over 4 hours in blistering heat. The new one suggested has only 3 matches, with all best of 3 Sets and played over 2 days. It is a exhibition format. The event will have 1 Round in February and another final Round in November 2019. With very few slots available in the final showdown, not many countries will be there. They want the format attractive than to oblige many nations. A change of emphasis, this could affect ITF status in the world of Tennis.
The main reason for the changes as ITF states, is to attract the best players into the competition. After WTA and ATP dominance with their annual global valid and popular ranking system, the esteemed status of a Davis-Cup player has greatly diminished or ceased to exist. In a strict sense, I am not sure, if there is role and room for the Davis-Cup as an event in Tennis. Current development could lead to loss of legacy and that is a sad situation.
Ever increasing ATP/WTA events
ATP conducted 64 events this year and will finish in London in the middle of November. WTA will conclude in October with few less events in Singapore. Then Eastern Europe and Far East are staging ATP and WTA events. These give Ranking points too.
However well trained a player is, having to accommodate over 25 events within 9-10 months in a year is the best formula for a physical breakdown. Nadal brought in the physio 16 times during the US-Open, before saying enough is enough in the semifinal. If it could affect him so much, what about others?
New Chorus line
Ex Davis-Cup and Fed-Cup players had an esteem status in Tennis. Now, to be recognised, one has to be in the top 100 of ATP and WTA Rankings. Their events are Mega city attractions like Formula-1 car race, Golf events, and Laver-Cup is seeking that branding. Last year, the Laver-Cup was in Prague in the Czech Republic. This year it has moved to Boston, USA.
One whispered to me that ageing players are not ready to leave and are creating events of lesser intensity to extent their cash flow. The ATP and WTA formula is money for players. Laver-Cup has it and Davis-Cup does not. Money magic is the new Chorus-line. Whoever thought the US-Open winners will go home with over US$ 4 million each?
George Paldano, Former int. player; Accredited Coach of German Federation; National coach Sri Lanka & Brunei, Davis-Cup, Federation Cup captain/coach– conta
Davis-Cup / Fed-Cup format change ct
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