Australian Open ponders massive re-vamp

[Redline]

Why the players love the scheduling I think they perhaps need to look at some changes. These are just ideas.

1) look at starting on the Sunday and play the opening round over three days. There are enough players in Melbourne that could play there first round match. You could tie that in with the final day of qualifying. Starting the qualifying on the Wednesday means to many players are unavailable as they are playing singles or doubles in Sydney, Auckland or Hobart. Start it a day later.

2) Switch back to the old formula of two men's and one women's match on rod laver. The sessions are over to quickly.

3) Given the middle Saturday is super Saturday they should play more games. Crowds are a problem as everyone is trying to get into to few courts. Either bring more doubles forward or even start the juniors.

 

[Lemma]

I like the idea of playing the first round over three days. I was working full time so I couldn't go in the first round, when the most matches are on.
If it was on Sun, I could have gone

 

[Drummond]

They do that at the French, and the first day always seems a bit flat. But then again most days at the French seem that way as their crowds can often be pretty sparse. You'd get good crowds here if it started Sunday.

 

[Chris_2593]

I hate the 3 day first round. I hope they dont bring it in here. Dont like it at the French Open either.

 

[Alfonz]

Although the Australian Open has had to yield a lot in recent years by playing more matches (and finals) later into the night to accomodate European and American audiences

This is an old post, but the night matches couldn't be much worse for American audiences ... 7.30pm AEST is between 12.30am and 3.30am here, depending where you live.

 

[hirdy_is_champ]

This is an old post, but the night matches couldn't be much worse for American audiences ... 7.30pm AEST is between 12.30am and 3.30am here, depending where you live.

Well such is life. US Open is at a terrible time for us to. *Cue arguments about the American market is bigger, we don't matter etc." That's timezones for you, we've got Asia anyway.

AO is very well organised, my only issue is at times they put Aussies such as Dokic and Dellacqua on RLA when they really shouldn't be, in say round 2.

 

[Amazing Bombers]

Well such is life. US Open is at a terrible time for us to. *Cue arguments about the American market is bigger, we don't matter etc." That's timezones for you, we've got Asia anyway.

AO is very well organised, my only issue is at times they put Aussies such as Dokic and Dellacqua on RLA when they really shouldn't be, in say round 2.

They were playing top 10 players if i recall correctly.

 

[Alfonz]

Well such is life. US Open is at a terrible time for us to. *Cue arguments about the American market is bigger, we don't matter etc." That's timezones for you, we've got Asia anyway.

I was only trying to say that playing more night matches has nothing to do with the US audience, as somebody else suggested.