USTA does it again!

tguru · 09-05-2004, 09:02 PM

Jennifer Capriati was scheduled to play Ai Sugiyama on Sunday at Louis Armstrong Stadium NOT before 400 pm. At about 345pm, with a full house waiting in their seats, a scroll went up on the scoreboard indicating that this match had been moved to Ashe Stadium! Naturally, the fans were indignant. Then they brought in a mixed doubles match to replace the Capriati match.
I can't think of one sound reason this had to be done, unless it was to jerk the average fan around once again. They had already reduced this site to 4 matches when in the past they used to play 5 matches there.Was it for Security? Did the USTA think 10,000 people should get up out of their seats and rush over to Ashe. Very few, in fact, did.
First they build a monument for themselves and corporate America(Ashe,how ironic)in which viewing a tennis match is not even desirable. Then they take general admission seating in Armstrong and make it reserved seating. Then they renovate the Grandstand but make part of it reserved, squeezing the general public out of even more seating unless, of course, they would like to pay extra for it. Just one more idiotic move which can't even be explained by their perpetual need to fill the mismanaged USTA coffers. What a country.

alienhamster · 09-05-2004, 10:24 PM

I'm pretty sure TV coverage here (CBS) had a lot to do with it. The scheduled matches for the day all went in quick sets, they were confident Roddick would be done circa 4:00, so why not move Capriati over to the main stadium to keep live tennis going in front of the big crowd where the commentators and main cameras are already set up?

Jerky, yes, but not surprising.

BreakPoint · 09-05-2004, 11:09 PM

CBS had cameras and commentators at Armstrong stadium also as they showed some of the Johansson-Koubek match earlier.

I can't believe they've made most of Armstrong and the Grandstand reserved seating!! Both used to be almost all general seating. No wonder I haven't made it out to the US Open since my last time there in 2000. If there's no general seating in those two stadiums any more, I may never go again since I always just get a grounds pass when I do go. It's really not worth buying a ticket for Arthur Ashe stadium because the place is so ridiculously huge that you can't see a thing. Even the luxury suites are way up there and hard to see anything on the court.

BTW, not a lot of people moved from Armstrong to Ashe to see the Capriati match because I'd bet most of those people only had grounds passes so they wouldn't be allowed into Ashe stadium. What a rip-off!!

tennisnj · 09-06-2004, 04:58 AM

USopen.org had Capriati scheduled for Arthur Ashe Stadium, not before 4pm from when the schedule was released on Saturday night. Where was it posted that Capriati was scheduled to play @ Louis Armstrong Stadium? If that was the case, that's boneheaded of the USTA (well what else is new?) to put one thing on the website & another on the grounds...

BaselineAce · 09-06-2004, 05:25 PM

Capriati is a top player. Why shouldn't she be playing on Ashe if it's available?

Chanchai · 09-06-2004, 06:08 PM

TW Posters do it again! :P

tguru · 09-07-2004, 04:11 AM

Capriati was scheduled for Armstrong at USOPEN.org right from the beginning. The reason she should play on Armstrong and not be switched to Ashe is because that is where it was scheduled and you have 10,000 fans there awaiting her arrival. You don't think it was full because of the prior Dementieva match? But I guess the USTA wanted to keep their few remaining corporate skyboxers entertained over in unwatchable Ashe.

09-05-2004, 09:02 PM	#1
tguru Rookie Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 141	USTA does it again! Jennifer Capriati was scheduled to play Ai Sugiyama on Sunday at Louis Armstrong Stadium NOT before 400 pm. At about 345pm, with a full house waiting in their seats, a scroll went up on the scoreboard indicating that this match had been moved to Ashe Stadium! Naturally, the fans were indignant. Then they brought in a mixed doubles match to replace the Capriati match. I can't think of one sound reason this had to be done, unless it was to jerk the average fan around once again. They had already reduced this site to 4 matches when in the past they used to play 5 matches there.Was it for Security? Did the USTA think 10,000 people should get up out of their seats and rush over to Ashe. Very few, in fact, did. First they build a monument for themselves and corporate America(Ashe,how ironic)in which viewing a tennis match is not even desirable. Then they take general admission seating in Armstrong and make it reserved seating. Then they renovate the Grandstand but make part of it reserved, squeezing the general public out of even more seating unless, of course, they would like to pay extra for it. Just one more idiotic move which can't even be explained by their perpetual need to fill the mismanaged USTA coffers. What a country.

09-05-2004, 11:09 PM	#3
BreakPoint Bionic Poster Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 36,210	CBS had cameras and commentators at Armstrong stadium also as they showed some of the Johansson-Koubek match earlier. I can't believe they've made most of Armstrong and the Grandstand reserved seating!! Both used to be almost all general seating. No wonder I haven't made it out to the US Open since my last time there in 2000. If there's no general seating in those two stadiums any more, I may never go again since I always just get a grounds pass when I do go. It's really not worth buying a ticket for Arthur Ashe stadium because the place is so ridiculously huge that you can't see a thing. Even the luxury suites are way up there and hard to see anything on the court. BTW, not a lot of people moved from Armstrong to Ashe to see the Capriati match because I'd bet most of those people only had grounds passes so they wouldn't be allowed into Ashe stadium. What a rip-off!! __________________ "You CANNOT be serious!!"

09-06-2004, 04:58 AM	#4
tennisnj Professional Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: New Jersey Posts: 1,175	USopen.org had Capriati scheduled for Arthur Ashe Stadium, not before 4pm from when the schedule was released on Saturday night. Where was it posted that Capriati was scheduled to play @ Louis Armstrong Stadium? If that was the case, that's boneheaded of the USTA (well what else is new?) to put one thing on the website & another on the grounds... __________________ "Stroke it, don't poke it." "Striving to keep our balls in play."

09-07-2004, 04:11 AM	#7
tguru Rookie Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 141	tguru Capriati was scheduled for Armstrong at USOPEN.org right from the beginning. The reason she should play on Armstrong and not be switched to Ashe is because that is where it was scheduled and you have 10,000 fans there awaiting her arrival. You don't think it was full because of the prior Dementieva match? But I guess the USTA wanted to keep their few remaining corporate skyboxers entertained over in unwatchable Ashe.

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