Imagine that the tennis world was focused not on Indian Wells and Key Biscayne but on the Australian Open at this time of year. Is this a novel concept? Not really. This was the case during this time frame in 1971 when the Australian Open was played at White City in Sydney, Australia. As documented in the upcoming book On This Day In Tennis History, it was on March 15, 1971 when Ken Rosewall and Margaret Court both won Australian Open singles titles during this uniquely scheduled major. Many people would love to have the tennis schedule altered so the players have more of an off season – and a February/March staging of the Australian Open would be a great way for that to happen – but Tennis Australia officials are too wed to the Australia Day holiday season and the end of the Australian summer season to move the tournament dates to later in the year. It could be worse, however, as the Australian Open used to be held during the Christmas holidays.
During a recent visit to London, I stopped by the All England Club and saw the place in full preparation for the 2008 Championships. Cranes stand next to Centre Court as the retractable roof continues to be installed and ready for the 2009 tournament. It appears a small stadium/bleacher section will be constructed on court No. 13 – in place of the rows of bleachers under the awning. At the Wimbledon Museum, I watched the highlights of the 1973 “strike year” men’s final when Czech Jan Kodes beat the Soviet Union’s Alex Metreveli. In lieu of allegations and controversy of betting in tennis and the allegations of involvement of the Russian mob, it was amusing to hear the commentator’s voice on the highlight tape, in previewing the final, say that “the betting is on Kodes.”
It’s a tough situation for The Tennis Channel Open in Las Vegas to go head-to-head with Dubai Tennis Championships on the ATP calendar. No doubt that the appearance fees were aplenty in the Middle Eastern oil and finance capital as most of the top 10 played in the event, while The Tennis Channel Open got the leftovers. Why not make Dubai a larger co-ed event (as it is now, the women play the week before in Dubai) and then move The Tennis Channel Open to a different date? The tennis calendar could have three back-to-back-to-back “mega co-ed” events in Dubai, Indian Wells and Key Biscayne. The Tennis Channel Open could then move to later in the year (and warmer weather in Vegas or another location). The United States sure could use another clay court event (how about another event before or after the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships?).
Speaking of The Tennis Channel Open, how can you not love Sam Querrey? The 20-year-old American won his first ATP singles title in Vegas and seemed as laid back and relaxed as any player I have ever seen. He told The Tennis Channel’s Corina Morariu that he planned to prepare for his semifinal against Guillermo Canas by going “indoor skydiving” but he lost in place in line and the wait would have been too long….Fernando Gonzalez, Julien Benneteau and Lleyton Hewitt all had some great racquet smashing episodes at The Tennis Channel Open. TC commentator Jimmy Arias had a funny line during Hewitt’s smash of his Yonex frame; “You have to give Yonex a little credit there…it took two tries to break the racquet.”
Best investment for tennis fans – the $69.95 for a year subscription to the ATP Masters Series TV broadband coverage on ATPTennis.com. Why channel surf for Fox Sports Net during Indian Wells/Key Biscayne or stress whether you are going to get The Tennis Channel Open for most of the other offered events like Monte Carlo, Rome, Hamburg, etc.? The service offers near wall-to-wall coverage of all the top matches and if your computer has a high quality screen, it’s just like TV. Speaking of the Masters Series TV coverage, Jason Goodall, one of their fine commentary team members, spoke of talking to Igor Andreev in Dubai and asking him whether he would rather be No. 1 in the world or win a Grand Slam. Goodall reported that the Russian responded, “Neither…an Olympic Gold Medal.”
Key Biscane
Destination: Miami
Thinking of attending an ATP tennis tournament? TennisGrandstand begins a new series that reviews pro tournaments from a fan’s perspective.
All tournaments are bound to be a great experience. After all, fans lucky enough to attend a professional tennis event are watching the world’s best tennis players compete in one of sports greatest games! So it’s the intangible that determine whether a tournament is either a “great” or merely a “good” event.
In reviewing a tournament, we take into consideration the general atmosphere of the tournament, the ease of getting into courts, the ability to watch practice sessions, food, prices, hotels and transportation, and entertainment outside the tournament grounds.
Our first destination is also known as tennis’ fifth Grand Slam: the ATP’s Masters Series event in Miami.
General Atmosphere:
The tournament is played in Crandon Park in Key Biscayne, Florida, just south of Miami. The grounds of Crandon Park provide one of the most striking event backdrops in North America, offering an excellent compliment to the exciting tennis fans witness on court.
The Hispanic fans from the Miami area and the South Americans who fly in for the tournament give the Sony Ericsson Open a decidedly latino flair. That influence transfers over to the players. Although Miami is a hardcourt event, the clay court players from South America and Spain have a large, vocal following and are often scheduled on some of the best courts for both play and practice.
Courts:
Unlike the enormous Arthur Ashe stadium at the US Open, fans can still see the ball even when perched high on top of the main stadium in Crandon Park. But the Grandstand is the best place to view action. The second largest court on the tournament grounds is easy to get in and out of, and there isn’t a bad seat in the house.
The same can’t be said of the other main courts. Courts 1 and 2 are far too small for such a large tournament. Fans must often wait in long lines that stretch out from the court entrances. Once a fan is finally able to get a seta, they can’t chance leaving for even a brief restroom break because the long process of getting into the court will begin again.
Practice Sessions:
Watching your favorites practice is rarely a problem in Miami. With only one exception, fans can sit or stand court side on all the practice courts at the event, offering a great opportunity to take pictures and video.
If you are determined to see a particular player, we recommend wearing sneakers. The practice sessions times are not posted and the grounds are large, so you may have to take numerous turn around Crandon Park to find the players you are looking for.
Food:
The Sony Ericsson Open offers fans a variety of culinary treats to choose from, ranging from pasta and seafood to pizza and ice cream. Especially delightful is the strawberries with Nutella and whipped crème wrapped in French crepes.
Prices:
Overall the ticket prices into the event are average for a tennis tournament. And in comparison to the US Open, it’s downright inexpensive.
Remember that once you get a ticket with an assigned seat for the stadium, you can sit anywhere in the Grandstand or outer courts.
Food prices in the grounds are also average for a tournament. For the amount and quality of the food, the prices are reasonable for a professional sports event in the United States.
Hotel:
If you are coming from outside the Miami area, the tournament offers a number of hotel packages with a good choice of price ranges.
Many fans who come from other parts of the world take advantage of the hotel shuttle service due to the heavy traffic in Miami. If letting someone else deal with the driving appeals to you, make sure that the hotel you choose offers shuttle service.
Check the Sony Ericsson Open official web site for more information on hotels and shuttle service. http://www.sonyericssonopen.com/
Entertainment Outside The Grounds:
It’s Miami: sun, beaches, a large variety of terrific restaurants, and South Beach nightlife. Does anything more need to be said?
Helpful Hints:
Helpful Hint # 1 – The Masters Series tournament is a combined men’s and women’s event. That’s good news for some, bad news for other fans. We leave that up to you to decide.
Helpful Hint # 2 – March in sunny Florida is hot so make sure to pack your sunscreen. (There are some exceptions: a couple of years ago in Miami, there was very cool temperatures two nights during the tournament. Fans had to pull out their sweatshirts and jackets, and line up at the on-site Starbucks for hot coffee.) The Miami area can also experience heavy rain during the day so it’s a good idea to bring along an umbrella or rain cape as well.
(This column has been published before by Lynn Mennillo)