New idea for the tournament schedule

Does it make sense to stick to the present tournament schedule, when the best 4 players play the semi in each event anyway. Then would be an idea to change the schedule, e.g. that all other players should play qualification the first week and only 4 qualified winners would play QF with the best 4 after having 3 relaxing days. That would increase the level and intensity of matches at the end of tourneys and would decrease an amount of much clear wins or boring matches in the first or second rounds.
Only question is what would these 4 would do the first week, any idea?

It sounds like the Challenge round being resurrected.

In your model, would the Top 4 ranking be 52-week as it is currently, or the 'longer' or 'perpetual' ranking?

They could play mixed doubles or doubles with WTA Top 4 and/or pair 1,2,3,4 and provide entertaining doubles.

I would also add making all such events joint ATP/WTA events.

The evening sessions at slams could be replaced with http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_with_the_stars or equivalent. This event should be hosted on Grass, Clay and Hard courts.

The final at each slam should have a singing and/or dancing contest prior to playing any Tennis.

I would suggest that the top four players don't actually play any formal matches as the whole tounament would be spoilt if one of the "challengers" beat them. They could just have a fun knock about. The challengers could feed some nice easy balls so that the "champions" could hit their best shots.

When it comes to the winner of the tounament. That should be decided by audience poll. In fact when you think about it the players that make up the top four should be decided in this way also. You have to give the people what they want.

paulcz. I bet I can guess who you would vote for by your name.

Have sometimes thought how about a couple of tournaments where there is a completely open draw. You could for instance get a Djokovic/Nadal or a Federer/Murray match in round 1. That may detract from some of the matches at the sharp end of the tournament but give more spice to the earlier matches.

At the moment the top players seem to be able to play their way into the tournaments by cleaning up the lower ranked opponents in the early rounds without having to play too well. Having to be prepared correctly for a tough first or second round match would be a different challenge for them.

Finally it would give lower ranked players a chance to get a decent run in a tournament with the ranking points that come with it.

Don't expect this ever to happen but it would be something different.

Calder106. Interesting idea. Bit like the FA Cup which this year, effectively had the equivalent of Djoko and Rafa meeting in the first round with the two Manchester clubs coming out of the hat together.
Man U then met Liverpool in the next round, which would be like Rafa meeting a top 10 player in round two. This is, somehow, acceptable for the FA Cup as you have the league matches to decide who is really best. Can't really see this happening in tennis.

Like I said SFP a maximum of a couple of tournaments (and definitely not the slams). What we see often now is that a player who does have a good run in a tournament (and maybe beaten a lower seed on the way) is completely tired out by the time they come up against the top seeds and are beaten easily. Would be interesting to see what would happen if the top guys had to play hard matches early on.

Well as the top players often struggle early on tourneys but manage to come through, it would certainly be fascinating to see how they would tackle early tough tests.
Of course, some of us can remember when it was not just 16 seeds for the big tourneys but only EIGHT, for Pete's sake. You could have had Nole playing del Potro in the opening round at a Slam.

Calder106 wrote:Have sometimes thought how about a couple of tournaments where there is a completely open draw. You could for instance get a Djokovic/Nadal or a Federer/Murray match in round 1. That may detract from some of the matches at the sharp end of the tournament but give more spice to the earlier matches.

But it happens today at WTF, correct? And it is a round-robin format, so they have to be sharp from the very beginning.

Calder106 wrote:At the moment the top players seem to be able to play their way into the tournaments by cleaning up the lower ranked opponents in the early rounds without having to play too well. Having to be prepared correctly for a tough first or second round match would be a different challenge for them.

That does reflect on how well the lower-ranked players play, in general, does it not?

Calder106 wrote:Finally it would give lower ranked players a chance to get a decent run in a tournament with the ranking points that come with it.

Don't expect this ever to happen but it would be something different.

There could be a promotion tournament, similar to the DC World Group promotion, which can provide a higher set of ranking points. Good idea.