Doubles Debacle Continues, Agassi May Miss Aussie Open
Posted on December 9, 2005
Agassi Miffed, May Miss Aussie OpenAndre Agassi says he regrets his attempted appearance at the year-ending Masters Cup in Shanghai with an ankle injury, and the effort may force him to miss the 2006 Australian Open in January.
"It's arguably worse now than it was two weeks ago, so I set myself back going to Shanghai," Agassi said. "I have a bone bruise that, literally, is still a world of concern."
Agassi has since exacerbated the injury by playing singles and mixed doubles with wife Steffi Graf at a charity exhibition in Virginia.
"After my experience in Shanghai, I can confidently say I'll never get on the court again unless I'm 100 percent ready," Agassi said. "I was just absolutely resentful that I made the decision to go on there less than my best. I was real upset."
Agassi also vented on Wang Liqun, deputy director of the organizing committee for the Masters Cup in Shanghai, who accused him of withdrawing after playing one match without notifying anyone, and brought up his past injury history while playing events in China.
"I certainly didn't appreciate how irresponsible (Wang) was," Agassi said. "It was very discouraging for me. I'm frustrated by the whole thing...There was also pressure from the tournament as well as the ATP. Everybody wanted me to play and I wanted to play, I just shouldn't have."
Agassi has said he will sit out the claycourt season, which takes too much of a toll on his body, and now may be forced to miss the Australian swing.
"Australia has now become a concern, no question about it," Agassi said. "Until this is better, I can't make any sure statements. Right now, I'm worried about my training. I have hope that the next week or two will be big, big gains."
Bryan, ATP Still Battle Over Tennis Doubles Future
While the ATP has announced that Gayle Bradshaw, former ATP vice president of rules & competition, has been named its "doubles commissioner" to oversee attempted improvements to doubles in 2006, the group of players and coaches suing the ATP over the coming scoring changes will not relent.
"Despite my very best efforts to have the lawsuit withdrawn it seems that this is not likely in the near future," said ATP Chairman Etienne de Villiers. "I have tried tirelessly to persuade the passionate and admirable Wayne Bryan, the plaintiff's spokesperson, to sit alongside Gayle and me and help us grow doubles and make it a positive contributor to tournaments, fans, TV and media alike. I was hoping Wayne would help turn a sour situation into a very positive, collaborative joint venture between players, tournaments and the ATP. Alas, this does not seem likely. Despite Wayne conceding this is the right way to go, he cannot get himself to accept the shortened scoring format and so the lawsuit seems likely to continue."
While Bryan, father of American twins Bob and Mike Bryan, is likewise appreciative of de Villiers and his efforts to bring the ATP and the doubles players closer together, he wants to see standard doubles scoring in 2006.
"I'm very appreciative that (de Villiers) met with the players in Shanghai and that he has spent so much time talking with them and me and trying to see our side," Bryan told Tennis-X. "I just know the ATP brass got to him before we were able to. He knows how distasteful this shortened scoring system is to the players, fans and media. Of course, we are very heartened by all the promotional aspects in the new plans and think it is long overdue..."
In 2006, doubles matches on the ATP will be comprised of no-ad scoring and a first-to-10 point tiebreak if the teams split sets. Bryan says he is tired of fighting the battle and is looking forward to concentrating on issues that will improve tennis as a whole.
"I don't have the time or inclination to fight this battle and I'm not nearly as smart and as capable as the gifted and talented Mr. de Villiers," Bryan said. "My momma always told me that a hippopotamus was a horse that was designed by a committee. The original [ATP] "Doubles Enhancements" were a hippopotamus and yes, they were done by a committee. Now with the leadership of Mr. de Villiers, they are starting to get close and it is starting to faintly resemble a horse that we can ride to make doubles a game that can and should take its rightful place in the tennis stable."
Bryan says the two most important issues facing pro tennis are the length of schedule related to injuries, and the need for a better TV/sponsor package to showcase tennis worldwide.
"We, of course, do not think the scoring system used for doubles is even in the Top 100 of our most pressing issues and we are sickened to have to fight this when we would much rather spend our time helping do things that really need to be done," Bryan said.
With the shake-up after the departure of ATP CEO Mark Miles, and whispers of more potential exits after the ATP endured a damaging year as a rudderless ship and a debate of whose best interests, the tournaments, players, or fans, the governing body was looking out for, Poppa Bryan says he is taking a holiday sabbatical from trying to save tennis and awaits the ATP's next move.
"I'm not speaking on behalf of the players, I'm just answering as a coach and a guy who is passionate about the great game of tennis -- singles and doubles," Bryan said. "I'm sure there will be an official response in a few weeks...These doubles edicts are being made by people wearing suits and not by those wearing tennis clothes. The players ultimately have to abide by the rules unless they elect to battle on in court. The court of public opinion as I have always said, should and will be the final arbiter."
Suggestions to the USTA for their US Open Series of events from Bryan included letting tournaments choose to apply traditional scoring, having a US Open Series Standings for doubles also, putting the men's US Open doubles final on at night, and promoting doubles and the doubles final in TV ads.
Bryan also bemoaned the ATP choosing a doubles commissioner that is a former applier of rules rather than a promoter of the game.
"Let us have a voice in picking the doubles commissioner that we have worked so hard and so long to obtain," Bryan said. "We want a promoter; someone with creativity and vision; with some TV experience; sales experience; we want an [USTA promotor] Arlen Kantarian-ish person."
It is a battle with major consequences, and the women's WTA Tour and the International Tennis Federation, which run the grand slams, watch from the wings to decide whether they will implement similar scoring changes.
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DECEMBER TENNIS-X NEWS, NOTES, QUOTES AND BARBS
The women's Qatar Open in February is getting set to throw a ton of money at Martina Hingis to make an appearance: "She was the winner of the inaugural women's Qatar Open in 2001, so wouldn't we be happy to have her in Doha?" said Qatar Tennis Federation chief Sheikh Mohammed bin Faleh al-Thani...From Reuters: "The wrinkle-fighter Botox may serve up a new therapy for the chronic pain of "tennis elbow," a new study suggests. Researchers in Hong Kong found that among 60 adults with stubborn cases of tennis elbow, a single injection of botulinum toxin type A relieved some patients' pain for up to three months."...The British Lawn Tennis Association named Andy Murray Player of the Year...The International Tennis Writers Association (ITWA) named Kim Clijsters' Player of the Year and also honored her with ITWA's Ambassador for Tennis award, which salutes players who go out of their way to advance the sport at a global level. "Working with the media is the best way of reaching out to the fans so that they get to know you and understand you better," said Clijsters. "It's a really important part of the job for me because the media really helps tennis."...From the trial of the Williams family, who are being sued for allegedly not complying with a "Battle of the Sexes" tennis event, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel: "It was one of several light moments while [Venus Williams] was on the stand. She bantered with the attorneys during questioning and balked coyly before revealing her age of 25. At one point, when Romano asked if Venus Williams knew if anyone else was an officer or board member in her father's company, Richard Williams Tennis & Associates, she burst out laughing uncontrollably. "I think my mom used to work for him," Venus Williams said before cracking up again, saying something about divorce in between laughs. "I think she used to work for RWTA," she said after composing herself. Her father and sister smiled as Venus Williams laughed, while some audience members looked confused."...Jelena Dokic says she takes heart from Mary Pierce also bouncing back from nutty-dad syndrome: "Mary Pierce has done that so she has been a very big inspiration for the last year because she's done exactly that and maybe having a similar situation to me. I've already proved that I can play well, I've had good results so now I can just enjoy my tennis, enjoy every shot I play."...Taylor Dent closed on his new house this week in Bradenton, Florida...Vince Spadea has collaborated with Tennis Week contributing writer Dan Markowitz to write a behind-the-scenes look at life on the ATP Tour. Titled "Break Point: The Secret Diary Of A Pro Tennis Player," the book will be released in either the spring or early summer of 2006...From the Kim Clijsters website: "I've just come back from England where I was awarded two trophies by the international tennis press. And this morning I've been to the hospital to get two wisdom teeth removed. The event in London was rather posh. The International Tennis Writers Association awarded me the trophy of tennis ambassador of the year 2005 and I was elected the player of the year. So I had to deliver a speech in front of an audience of about 1000 people. Stress!"...Lindsay Davenport has split with coach Adam Peterson...From Tennis Week: "I've been quite shocked by how dismissive and critical both tournaments and players are of one another, and how collectively you are dismissive of the ATP," [Etienne] de Villiers wrote in an email to tournament directors obtained by Tennis Week. "Now, I recognize we all have to do a lot better and that is my stated aim, but 'dissing' each other, especially in the media, is no way to go. We should be open and honest about our failings and shortcomings, debate solutions fiercely, disagree passionately in private, but once we have decided to do something we should support each other and never harm our game by criticizing each other. I am going to refine and strengthen our code of conduct rules and sanction anyone who violates them."...Aussie Davis Cup captain John Alexander has stepped down as Fed Cup captain...Will the Mariano Puerta doping judgement come down this week as predicted?