WTF Surface Choice

Ranking points are collected throughout the year. Most of the points are won on grass, clay and outdoors on hardcourts. The 8 players with the most points gather together at the end of the year for a finale. They play the finale indoors on hardcourts. Why?

If it was a gathering of the 8 best indoor hardcourt players this would be understandable. If the surface varied from year to year it would be understandable. How can the WTF winner claim to be the best of the best when it is alway played in a surface that is so different to where the players have won most of their points?

The WTF should vary the surface from year to year. It should always be played on grass, clay or outdoor hardcourt.

I like the idea of having a different surface unknown to all players so that there is an adaptability factor thrown into it. Helps usually the more talented players.

Having said that the surface at the ATP final was chosen by xavier Sanchez, and I think it was clear the aim was to help Nadal. Which almost worked cause he reached teh final for once.

And where exactly under the sun can you play a tournament on grass/clay in November?
A week after Paris Bercy on top.

noleisthebest wrote:And where exactly under the sun can you play a tournament on grass/clay in November?
A week after Paris Bercy on top.

Exactly. There is a reason why this time of year is the indoor season.

It would a bit too much to expect the players to fly out to Oz for just the WTF.

The WTF is the closest thing to a fifth slam and therefore it is fitting that it should be played indoors as this is a major component of tennis and should be represented by a big tournament.



emancipator

Just a few years ago they were expected to fly to Shanghai.

If there was a will to vary the surfaces at WTF there would be a way.

Not sure how feasible having it on different surfaces is but I do think that after the present agreement they should look to hold it in a different country each year. Yes the O2 a great venue for it but I'm sure that other countries could stage it just as well and would wish to do so.

The problem with clay and grass to an extend is that they are typically 2 "specialist surfaces". It woudl be unfair to use them on that occasion even if I like them both.

Hardcourts are for everybody and WTF is particularly slow HC. Noone can complain about t bar Federer who coudl do with a faster surface...yet he has won there as well.

It's the slow surface which actually killed Nadal last year cause it meant that he had to slug it out v Murray on long rallies. Nadal may have suffered the same fate if Murray had stayed with him on clay for 3 sets.

I believe Nadal is resting this week to optimise his chance in London. More than anyone, he needs to be very fit to win it.

hawkeye wrote:It should always be played on grass, clay or outdoor hardcourt.

Wimbledon and AO have roofs, which makes them indoor grass and indoor HC as well. Why this hangup between indoor and outdoor?

There is already a big debate regarding 'homeogenisation' of surfaces.


Should all the following (16) tournaments be shut down?

Edit: Added points and SAP Open...

SAP Open Hard(I) - ATP 250
PBZ Zagreb Indoors Hard (I) - ATP 250
Swiss Indoors Basel Hard (I) - ATP 500
Valencia Open 500 Hard (I) - ATP 500
Barclays ATP World Tour Finals Hard (I) - 1500
ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament Hard (I) - ATP 500
BNP Paribas Masters Hard (I) - MS 1000
Regions Morgan Keegan Championships Hard (I) - ATP 500
Open 13 Hard (I) - ATP 250
Open de Moselle Hard (I) - ATP 250
PTT Thailand Open Hard (I) - ATP 250
Malaysian Open Hard (I) - ATP 250
If Stockholm Open Hard (I) - ATP 250
Kremlin Cup Hard (I) - ATP 250
Bank Austria TennisTrophy Hard (I) - ATP 250
Open Sud de France Hard (I) - ATP 250
St. Petersburg Open Hard(I) - ATP 250

Total available points - 7,250 points.

This is actually a fair point, Nadal doesnt like slow, dead courts contrary to opinion. His ability on grass speaks to that (e.g. winning SW19 twice, Queens), and yes it is slower but its not clay by any stretch of the imagination.

Does anyone know if London is DecoturfII?

laverfan

Of course not! But they are hardly representative of the surfaces where most of the ranking points are won. If anyone wants to make for case indoor hardcourts. Maybe have the WTF on that surface occasionally. But why every year?

As for courts with rain cover. They are only used when required.

The surface should be medium slow/fast which exactly how 02 played last two years. It was fair to all players.

Based on the information from Basel (same surface as WTF this year) and this link - http://www.atpworldtour.com/posting/2011/328/mds.pdf
the surface is Hard, Greenset on Boards.

Does anyone know who makes decisions of the surface and how are those decisions made (WTF)?

As mentioned at WTF it was Javier Sanchez who chose the surface. Why? I don;t know.

Thanks laverfan, if on boards it should play pretty quick, much quicker than Paris.

lydian wrote:Thanks laverfan, if on boards it should play pretty quick, much quicker than Paris.

This is strange. From the Paris draw -

2011 - http://www.atpworldtour.com/posting/2011/352/mds.pdf - Hard, Acrylic on Wood.
2010 - http://www.atpworldtour.com/posting/2010/352/mds.pdf - Hard, Greenset on Boards - same as Basel 2011.

So Basel 2011 is the same as Paris 2010, WTF 2011.

Edit: I agree Lydian, it should be pretty quick. Why did Paris change it's surface?

Tenez wrote:As mentioned at WTF it was Javier Sanchez who chose the surface. Why? I don;t know.

Mmm....that's pretty weird, to say the least!