2023 ATP General News

[tented]

The mens doubles format at Wimbledon has been changed to the best of 3 sets to bring it in line with the other 3 Grand Slam tournaments. The All England Club announced the switch on Wednesday and said the reduction could attract more players to enter the doubles competition at Wimbledon

Smart decision. It will also help their scheduling, however Wimbledon has always been the best at scheduling anyway.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

The IOC announces that Russian and Belarusian athletes will be permitted to compete in international events ( including Paris 2024) under a neutral designation with no national flag or anthem. The ban on the two countries hosting sanctioned events remains in place.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Encouraging news for Seb Korda, pain forced him to retire during QF match with Khachanov at the AO, no significant structural damage.Hopefully able to return to action son.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

The Australian Open has fallen off a cliff in 2023, after Channel 9 splashed out half a billion dollars on a new deal to extend until 2030, but damning figures highlighting just how bleak things truly are.The hits for the AO came thick and fast before the first serve was event sent across the net.Ash Barty hung up the racket not long after her Grans Slam victory.The came the loss of world number one Carlos Alcaraz, the supremely talented 19 year old who took the world by storm last year.Nick Krygios withdrew, he is a drawcard especially at the AO.
During Saturday's night's women's singles final, and the men's doubles final, the ratings peaked at 1.437 million viewers. While those figures are good, they dont come even close to last year's women's final and men's doubles final which peaked at 4.261 million viewers.Records tumbled in the 2022 edition of the AO. One year later and the numbers are coming in three to four million down on what unfolded during a stunning tournament last year.
"There are so many players of the global seeded who do have start power not appearing here so it was always going to be lower ratings. Even so the ratings are a bit lower than I would expected.It's dramatically down, 30 to 40 per cent down" said Media analyst Steve Allen. "A contributing factor to the dramning drop off can be associated with Novak Djokovic. Despite Novak Djokovic being arguably the greatest player of all time, when it comes to ratings he dosen't deliver like he does on court.
The world of tennis is lacking TV ratings drawcards at the moment, it is in transition phase. The drawcards who are reliable like Ash Barty and Roger Federer have gone and there are very few coming through right at this moment" said Allen.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

A major independent investigation into Alexander Zverev has found insufficient evidence to substantiate published allegations of abuse. As a result, no disciplinary action will be taken by the ATP. Commissioned by ATP in October, 2021 the investigation looked into allegations of domestic abuse made by Zverev's former girl friend, Olya Sharaypova.The investigation was carried out by The Lake Forest Group, licensed private investigations with more than 60 years combined experience in the field, including professional sports.

 

[Jelenafan]

Smart decision. It will also help their scheduling, however Wimbledon has always been the best at scheduling anyway.

Sorry, but for decades W keeping the second Sunday matchfree, (only recently changed) , keeping the longest tiebreak free fifth set on all matches ( again only recently changed) & IMO a very haphazard approach to rain delayed matches that I can’t annoint them the best at scheduling.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

We have 3 ATP tournaments starting soon, Montpellier, Dallas and Cordobo,

Strong field in Montpellier,
Rune, Sinner, Busta, Coric, Agut, Fokinia, Bublik and Gasquet

Dallas,
Fritz, Tiafoe, Isner, Wolf, Kecmanovic, Lahecka, Nakashima, Giron.

Cordoba,
Schwartzman, Cerundolo, Ramo-Vinolas, Fognini, Munar.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

I don't think this is a surprise,
Felix Auger- Aliassime is the first player confirmed for the Laver Cup, Vancouver 2023, September 22-24, representing Team World.Tickets go on sale Monday.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Nick Kyrgios assault court case returns to court today ( 3rd February in Canberra) his solicitor will try to have his case dismissed ' on mental health grounds'

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

The men's AO final 2023, clocked 1.3 million views
It was the women's final at the AO in 2023, which received the most views 1.43 million for the second consecutive year. Thiose figures were from Channel Nine and Australian figures
ESPN TV ratings Djokovic v Tsitsipas was the least watched men's final in a least a decade

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Nick Kyrgios assault charged was dismissed by the judge after he pleaded guilty, he shoved his ex girl friend in 2021.
Canberra judge said the publicity of the trial, the time that has elapsed since the incident and the fact that is appeared to be a one- off incident meant the case did not warrant a conviction.

 

[Kieran]

Nick Kyrgios assault charged was dismissed by the judge after he pleaded guilty, he shoved his ex girl friend in 2021.
Canberra judge said the publicity of the trial, the time that has elapsed since the incident and the fact that is appeared to be a one- off incident meant the case did not warrant a conviction.

I’m just reading about that on tennis.com.

Kyrgios had been attempting to leave Passari during an argument at 10 p.m. on Jan. 10, 2021, outside her apartment in the inner-Canberra suburb of Kingston. He called an Uber but Passari stood in the way of him closing the front passenger side door. The driver wouldn’t leave with the door open.

Kyrgios eventually pushed Passari's shoulders backward with open palms, causing her to fall to the pavement and graze her knee, according to agreed facts read to the court.

Although he probably shouldn’t have pushed her, I’d file that under ‘WTF did she expect?’ Is he expected to sit there in a taxi with her blocking its departure? He’ll have this hanging over him forever but we’ll never hear the full story of what happened, why she was blocking that door from closing, that’s already very provocative, and what was she saying to him, and him to her. I wonder what the taxi driver said about it..

 

[Front242]

I’m just reading about that on tennis.com.




Although he probably shouldn’t have pushed her, I’d file that under ‘WTF did she expect?’ Is he expected to sit there in a taxi with her blocking its departure? He’ll have this hanging over him forever but we’ll never hear the full story of what happened, why she was blocking that door from closing, that’s already very provocative, and what was she saying to him, and him to her. I wonder what the taxi driver said about it..

Just read it too and that's 100% not assault but the NPCs will label him the bad guy as usual.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Roger Federer in talks to join BBC's Wimbledon coverage, the opportunity to bring Federer back to Wimbledon for TV work would be a significant boost to the tournament.
Over the next few weeks, The All England Club and the LTA will finalise how they are going to proceed.The early indications are that Russian and Belarus players will be able to play on the grass this summer.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Teams advancing to the Davis Cup Finals Group Stage in mid September after play this weekend,
GBR
Sweden
Switzerland
Serbia
France
USA
Canada
Australia
Spain
Italy
Croatia
Czechia
Chile
Korea Rep.
Netherlands
Finland

 

[Moxie]

They didn't show it on my TV, but I see that Coric beat Thiem in DC today: 7-6(3), 6-2. Not an easy match-up, but the question does remain about Thiem really coming all the way back.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

They didn't show it on my TV, but I see that Coric beat Thiem in DC today: 7-6(3), 6-2. Not an easy match-up, but the question does remain about Thiem really coming all the way back.

Going on present form I am not surprised in that result at all, he is a long way of getting back to his previous form before his injury,that was obvious in his first round defeat at the AO where he was awarded a wild card.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Davis Cup rankings updated, champs Canada new # No 1
1. Canada
2. Spain
3. Australia
4. Croatia
5. Germany ( out of the 2023 finals)

 

[Moxie]

A few things I noted from the tournaments today: Gasquet lost to an 18-year-old Frenchman, Arthur Fils, 7-5, 7-5. Verdasco won in Dallas. And Pablo Andújar is on court v. the younger Cerundolo in Argentina, still looking very handsome. He keeps getting up a break, then losing it. Now he's serving to stay in the first.

 

[El Dude]

A few things I noted from the tournaments today: Gasquet lost to an 18-year-old Frenchman, Arthur Fils, 7-5, 7-5. Verdasco won in Dallas. And Pablo Andújar is on court v. the younger Cerundolo in Argentina, still looking very handsome. He keeps getting up a break, then losing it. Now he's serving to stay in the first.

Arthur Fils has been on my radar for awhile, along with another French kid, Luca van Assche. Haven't seen them play, but they showed up on the "very young and on the rankings map" radar awhile ago.