Crikey, Babblelot! Your posts / links are sobering indeed. I can't say I blame you for going to watch the real tennis.
Whilst I didn't have this information to hand then, I made a comment on another thread here about how "tedious" it is for the same few men getting virually every title going. The information you have disclosed appears to support the fact that the status quo I refer to, is artificially encouraged. Whilst the same players winning can be tedious, if it is due to a contrived process , it is both depressing and unacceptable. Where does fair competition come into all of this? If what is being proposed in these articles true, and the content does seem compelling, it is an aberration.
It comes as no surprise that the commercial aspects of these tournaments is of significant influence. Wimbledon, for example, do not make money from ticket sales but television rights & I can't see how it would be different for the other slams & tournaments. The entertainment value of the "superstars" no doubt wins over fair play for all competitors. I have seen people complain here & it no doubt happens on other boards too, that their hero has been relegated to the "less" best court, and how unfair that is. It seems we prop up the system, perpetuating the requirement that the elite in the sport get the best possible playing conditions, and hence an advantage over their lower ranked colleagues. I have attended tournaments where seats in the main courts lie empty, knowing lots of tennis fans would have loved to have seen the matches. Corporate clients & television rights are the priority. Nadal, to his credit, spoke out during last years USO that all the organisers cared about is money. He was referring to the pathetic organisation during the rain storms, but his point is well made.
The information you have posted is obviously in the public domain. I wonder if the Players Council is going to look at this. The bulk of the players should stand up to such machinations, as should the tennis community of former players/commentators/journalists. Mind you, would any of them risk jeopardising their own meal ticket by doing so? Would the top players, for example, stand up in the spirit of brotherhood & help change the system? I'm not holding my breath.
As a member of the British Tennis Lawn Tennis Association, I'll see if there is way of meaningfully raising concerns on this issue.
