Sept. 2 (Bloomberg) -- Twins Bob and Mike Bryan were among players competing for the men's doubles championship at the U.S. Open who filed a lawsuit claiming recent rule changes are intended to run them out of tennis.
The suit, filed yesterday in U.S. District Court in Houston, accuses the ATP Tour Inc., which runs the main men's tennis circuit, and its directors of violating antitrust laws. It asks the court to declare the new rules illegal.
The list of plaintiffs includes the Bryans, who were ranked No. 1 in 2003 and through much of this season, and Mark Knowles and Daniel Nestor, the No. 1-ranked team in 2002 and 2004.
ATP spokesman Greg Sharko said in an interview that executives hadn't received the lawsuit yet and wouldn't comment.
The ATP announced changes to its scoring and qualifying rules for doubles play in June. One change excludes past success in doubles play as an entry requirement. Another requires doubles players to qualify for the singles tournament before being eligible to compete in ATP-sanctioned doubles events, regardless of their past doubles success, according to a press release issued by the players' attorneys, Houston-based Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P.
The suit argues that professional tennis has evolved into two independent and distinct forms, singles and doubles, with each played increasingly by different sets of athletes.
The ATP's goal, the suit claims, ``is to transform doubles into tennis's version of `Battle of the Network Stars' where marquee singles players can participate in a non-competitive, exhibition-type diversion from their `real' competition.''
The suit alleges that by focusing on singles, the ATP is trying to avoid competing for and paying the top doubles players, thus reducing costs and increasing profits through limited competition in violation of antitrust laws.
The case is Michael Bryan et al versus ATP Tour Inc. et al, H053082, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas (Houston).
The suit, filed yesterday in U.S. District Court in Houston, accuses the ATP Tour Inc., which runs the main men's tennis circuit, and its directors of violating antitrust laws. It asks the court to declare the new rules illegal.
The list of plaintiffs includes the Bryans, who were ranked No. 1 in 2003 and through much of this season, and Mark Knowles and Daniel Nestor, the No. 1-ranked team in 2002 and 2004.
ATP spokesman Greg Sharko said in an interview that executives hadn't received the lawsuit yet and wouldn't comment.
The ATP announced changes to its scoring and qualifying rules for doubles play in June. One change excludes past success in doubles play as an entry requirement. Another requires doubles players to qualify for the singles tournament before being eligible to compete in ATP-sanctioned doubles events, regardless of their past doubles success, according to a press release issued by the players' attorneys, Houston-based Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P.
The suit argues that professional tennis has evolved into two independent and distinct forms, singles and doubles, with each played increasingly by different sets of athletes.
The ATP's goal, the suit claims, ``is to transform doubles into tennis's version of `Battle of the Network Stars' where marquee singles players can participate in a non-competitive, exhibition-type diversion from their `real' competition.''
The suit alleges that by focusing on singles, the ATP is trying to avoid competing for and paying the top doubles players, thus reducing costs and increasing profits through limited competition in violation of antitrust laws.
The case is Michael Bryan et al versus ATP Tour Inc. et al, H053082, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas (Houston).
