WTA brings back byes as players redraw Roadmap
The WTA has agreed to reinstate byes for certain events in 2009 to allay playersâ fears about the new Roadmap calendar.
Many players were concerned that they would be at a significant disadvantage playing two events in succession, with no byes reducing the opportunity to rest between tournaments.
âThere were several concerns expressed by our top players,â said WTA CEO Larry Scott after conducting talks at the end-of-season Sony Ericsson Championships in Doha.
âWeâve made some adjustmentsâ â WTA CEO Larry Scott
âTheir concerns related to two issues â one, a concern that there wasnât enough break between some of our big tournaments which were back-to-back, primarily players playing in Rome right up against Madrid next year.
âSimilarly, in the fall, Tokyo is followed by Beijing. Those tournaments overlapped very closely. Players were concerned it was too many matches in too few days.â
The solution was to re-introduce byes for the semi-finalists in Rome and Tokyo.
âTherefore, for those players that have to play the most matches in Rome and Tokyo respectively, they can start later and have one less match in a subsequent event,â Scott explained.
âOn the second issue, there was concern that players might be denied entry into some of our âPremier 700â tournaments.
âWeâve all learnt to come together and work togetherâ â Venus Williams
âWeâve made some adjustments. In Paris, Charleston, Stuttgart, Stanford, and Los Angeles, weâve removed the prohibition on players being able to get into the two tournaments of their choice. Every player will be able to play at least two of those.â
WTA Championships winner Venus Williams said the discussions were very positive.
âWe all worked together this week really hard and I think everyoneâs pleased,â the 28-year-old said. âI think the good part of it all is that next year if we feel that something isnât working weâve all learnt to come together and work together.â
- Join the tennishead CLUB and receive £250/$350 of FREE GEAR including ASICS Gel-Resolution 8 trainers, shorts, shirt & socks
- Keep up to date with the breaking news & tennis action at our tennis news section
- Win amazing prizes by entering our competitions
- Learn more about your favourite players including Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic
- Check out the latest tennis equipment with our tennis gear reviews
- Receive regular updates in our legendary free newsletter
- Read in depth features with stunning photography in tennishead magazine
- Canât visit the tournaments you love? Check out our guide on how to watch tennis on TV
- Donât miss a thing with our Live Scores service
- Follow tennishead on social media at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & YouTube
- EXCLUSIVE 5% DISCOUNT for all tennishead readers on tennis rackets, balls, clothing, shoes & accessories with All Things Tennis, our dedicated tennis gear partner