Schedule Change to Finals - Women on Sunday Men on Monday

A welcome dose of commonsense has arrived at the USTA.

The schedule now has men's QF finishing today, men's and women's SF's finishing on Saturday, with women's finals on Sunday and Men's on Monday.

They have watered down the effect of stupid saturday and the rain delays a bit. Noone will have to play 4 matches in 4 days or 2 in 1 day, and both men's finalists will get a day's break - but the poor old women will have to endure their version of stupid saturday.

If they get a full day's play on Saturday this makes the men's final far more interesting and less lop-sided. I guess we may as well give Serena the women's trophy now.

Yes. This is good news. Do we know whether the mens semis are in succession? I doubt it. Probably oneearly in the afternoon and one late in the evening.

Yes, very good.

Isn't it funny that Nadal - who complained last year about the final moving - will be unlikely to repeat his opinion while Djokovic has already complained about the move?

bogbrush wrote:
Isn't it funny that Nadal - who complained last year about the final moving - will be unlikely to repeat his opinion while Djokovic has already complained about the move?

I don't know about that - but it fuels the point I was making about Rafa's complaints the other day. I agreed with the substance of what he said, but expressed the view that more sharp a player's public criticism is going to be of the organisers and the schedule, the more important it is for him to have been consistent about relative advantages and disadvantages in the past.

This is Federer's reported views on the subject (from the Guardian)

Of the delayed final, he said: "For me, I guess at the end of the day it wouldn't have mattered that much. But, out of fairness to the bottom half of the draw, I think it's definitely the right thing to do.

"The problem lies elsewhere, though. This is the fourth year in a row I think we're playing a Monday final. Might as well just make it a Monday final. Or you have to change up a few things.

"I think the three (day) first round is not working, and then the Super Saturday I just think is not feasible.

"I don't think TV should dictate just to have the finals on Sunday and the semis on Saturday and not have the true champion hold the trophy up. I just don't think that's the goal here."

barrystar wrote:This is Federer's reported views on the subject (from the Guardian)

[i]Of the delayed final, he said: "For me, I guess at the end of the day it wouldn't have mattered that much. But, out of fairness to the bottom half of the draw, I think it's definitely the right thing to do.

Federer has been trying to appear as physical and enduring as the other 3 guys...but clearly he is not. Is he convinced himself or is it poker game? Probably the former. I remember when he said in his FO final interview that he felt he could have beaten Nadal if it had gone to a decider cause he thought Nadal was getting tired. He remembers the Miami 2005 final to support his argument but hasn;t realised that then Nadal was playing under 20s.

barrystar wrote:This is Federer's reported views on the subject (from the Guardian)

Of the delayed final, he said: "For me, I guess at the end of the day it wouldn't have mattered that much. But, out of fairness to the bottom half of the draw, I think it's definitely the right thing to do.

"The problem lies elsewhere, though. This is the fourth year in a row I think we're playing a Monday final. Might as well just make it a Monday final. Or you have to change up a few things.

"I think the three (day) first round is not working, and then the Super Saturday I just think is not feasible.

"I don't think TV should dictate just to have the finals on Sunday and the semis on Saturday and not have the true champion hold the trophy up. I just don't think that's the goal here."

Good for Federer - it is a fair assessment and made politely and diplomatically. It would definitely be a huge advantage for Djokovic/Federer this year for the status quo to be maintained, but it is absolutely the best decision to make it as fair as possible to both halves and ensure that the champion is the best on the day.

Roger speaking utmost sense yet again and getting to the root of the problem (TV networks). One thing you wouldn't see is him yelling to the tournament referee 'You only care about the money, no?'.

Federer's intervention is very powerful because it is expressed with such moderation, but ultimately the 5-time winner is suggesting politely but firmly that the schedule may mean that the winner is not the "true champion". There have got to be some ears picking that up, surely?

Excellent comments from TMF, given extra weight because he's not arguing from a position of self interest (unlike others *cough* Nole/Nadal *cough*).