Wednesday, August 09, 2000
Tour CEO happy with changes
Miles expects Cincinnati to get women's event
By Michael Perry
The Cincinnati Enquirer
MASON — ATP Tour CEO Mark Miles was in town Tuesday to address the changes made in tennis this year: the ATP Champions Race, the mandatory status of the four Grand Slams and nine Tennis Masters Series events, the branding of the tournaments and the direction of the sport.
So far, so good, in his opinion.
“For too long, the people who managed tennis did it for themselves ... more than thinking about fans,” Miles said. That, he added, has prevented the sport's growth.
The ATP Tour expects to conduct research during the second half of the year to gauge whether fans like the changes.
Among Miles' other comments:
On the Champions Race:
“I'm personally very pleased by the reactions. I didn't expect that to be fully accepted overnight. Seems to me it's slowest to be accepted by those closest to tennis ... From the players to the full-time tennis media, there's more resistence. If you grow up in it, it's a pretty radical change.”
On Cincinnati getting a women's event:
“We're up to speed on it, and we have suggested some strategies and from time to time talked to the women players and board members about it. The real problem is their summer's already very crowded. It's a fair question to ask how much does it really help if (Cincinnati) got a lower or lowest level of tournament; I would advise against that.
“It might be that if they got a Tier 2 tournament and (tournament chairman Paul Flory) could do for the women what he does for the men, then it might never technically move to Tier 1, but they'll come.
“I think it should happen. Given good management and time, I'd say it will eventually happen.”
Another experiment that is being conducted in six countries at the futures level: Events that are best-of-three sets will become best-of-five, and each set will be won with four games instead of six. Surveys will then be handed out. The ATP Tour and International Tennis Federation are working together to see if it's something they will want to continue trying.
The idea is to make matches more exciting. If it is well-received, then the Tour could experiment at challengers — lower-level events —next year. The earliest it would be tried on the Tour would be 2002.
“Or,” Miles said, “we might just pull the plug.”
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