Cincy Open - No racquets or equipment reps on site

J

JeffG

Rookie
Equipment Geek Alert — At the Cincy Open for the umpteenth time. TW’s midwestern competition isn’t on site, nor are any racquets, shoes, manufacturer reps, etc. The merch tent is just straight souvenirs.

Major bummer since it was often a chance to see all the new stuff and occasional sneak peeks. Tent manager guy says he’s not sure if it’s coming back next year or not.
 
JeffG said:
Equipment Geek Alert — At the Cincy Open for the umpteenth time. TW’s midwestern competition isn’t on site, nor are any racquets, shoes, manufacturer reps, etc. The merch tent is just straight souvenirs.

Major bummer since it was often a chance to see all the new stuff and occasional sneak peeks. Tent manager guy says he’s not sure if it’s coming back next year or not.
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What?

That company was always there. We are here heading tomorrow to start a 3 day run. That is disappointing.

The pricing of seats has been a bummer as well.

How have the food/drink prices been?
 
LOBALOT said:
What?

That company was always there. We are here heading tomorrow to start a 3 day run. That is disappointing.

The pricing of seats has been a bummer as well.

How have the food/drink prices been?
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Food and drink seems similar, maybe up just a bit. The match schedule seems to be more spread out, less condensed. There are a lot more sponsors this year, logos plastered on everything. Overall, it seems more and more about the upscale “experience” and less about the actual tennis.

One plus: more seats with backs and padding.
 
JeffG said:
Food and drink seems similar, maybe up just a bit. The match schedule seems to be more spread out, less condensed. There are a lot more sponsors this year, logos plastered on everything. Overall, it seems more and more about the upscale “experience” and less about the actual tennis.

One plus: more seats with backs and padding.
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I saw the seat thing and wasn't sure what to make of it as during day sessions we would just wander up to the bleachers in the corners and sit. It looks like they are pushing assigned seating in the nose bleeds as well.

I bet they took the store down as they have plans for courts in that space.

I don't like that the matches are as spread out as well as I like the frantic pace during the day sessions where you are racing from this court to that to see play.
 
LOBALOT said:
I saw the seat thing and wasn't sure what to make of it as during day sessions we would just wander up to the bleachers in the corners and sit. It looks like they are pushing assigned seating in the nose bleeds as well.

I bet they took the store down as they have plans for courts in that space.

I don't like that the matches are as spread out as well as I like the frantic pace during the day sessions where you are racing from this court to that to see play.
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They weren’t policing seats much at all today, even in the lower levels. They’re also allowing much more movement in the upper levels along the sides of the court during play.

The store is still there, same size. It’s just all tournament branded soft goods. It feels like a department store in there now instead of a tennis shop.
 
JeffG said:
They weren’t policing seats much at all today, even in the lower levels. They’re also allowing much more movement in the upper levels along the sides of the court during play.

The store is still there, same size. It’s just all tournament branded soft goods. It feels like a department store in there now instead of a tennis shop.
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Yeah, you know not only did Cincy change ownership but so did that tennis sales outlet as they were purchased by some company in Europe so I wonder if they changed their perspective on supporting regional tennis by having a large staff and sales people there.
 
Yep, the Navarro era is definitely here. Three guesses which venture capitalist’s daughter is playing on center court today. It might be the same player who used to consistently get wild cards into dad’s Charleston tournament. The daily email is even promoting her match as the “one to watch” today.

I don’t know any details but TP had a lot of financial problems after their U.S. purchases/expansion and went through some fiduciary restructuring via European legal systems. We stopped by the physical store on the way to our hotel and no one there mentioned not being on site all.
 
JeffG said:
Yep, the Navarro era is definitely here. Three guesses which venture capitalist’s daughter is playing on center court today. It might be the same player who used to consistently get wild cards into dad’s Charleston tournament. The daily email is even promoting her match as the “one to watch” today.

I don’t know any details but TP had a lot of financial problems after their U.S. purchases/expansion and went through some fiduciary restructuring via European legal systems. We stopped by the physical store on the way to our hotel and no one there mentioned not being on site all.
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Let it go, she's 13th in the world and she's playing the first match which is never close to capacity. she's earned this.
 
silentkman said:
Let it go, she's 13th in the world and she's playing the first match which is never close to capacity. she's earned this.
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She’s not playing the first match. She’s later in the afternoon, not before 3:00. Also not letting it go. She’s gotten a lot of unearned breaks along the way, including being (over)promoted in Cincy this year.
 
JeffG said:
She’s not playing the first match. She’s later in the afternoon, not before 3:00. Also not letting it go. She’s gotten a lot of unearned breaks along the way, including being (over)promoted in Cincy this year.
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Should have moved it to Charlotte. Nobody wants to be in Mason, OH.
 
Purestriker said:
Should have moved it to Charlotte. Nobody wants to be in Mason, OH.
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As if anyone is clamoring to be in Charlotte. LOL. I’d take Cincy over Charlotte easily. If Navarro was going to move it, he should’ve picked a better, preferably world class city.

Unfortunately, Navarro seems to be pushing the tournament in a more obviously corporatized, nouveau riche kind of vibe, even if it isn’t in Charlotte.
 
JeffG said:
As if anyone is clamoring to be in Charlotte. LOL. I’d take Cincy over Charlotte easily. If Navarro was going to move it, he should’ve picked a better, preferably world class city.

Unfortunately, Navarro seems to be pushing the tournament in a more obviously corporatized, nouveau riche kind of vibe, even if it isn’t in Charlotte.
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You must be from Mason, or Cleveland. Not from Charlotte but it’s better city and NC is a better state. Is whet it is.
 
JeffG said:
Equipment Geek Alert — At the Cincy Open for the umpteenth time. TW’s midwestern competition isn’t on site, nor are any racquets, shoes, manufacturer reps, etc. The merch tent is just straight souvenirs.

Major bummer since it was often a chance to see all the new stuff and occasional sneak peeks. Tent manager guy says he’s not sure if it’s coming back next year or not.
Click to expand...
This breaks my heart to hear this. I grew up in Cincinnati and going to that tournament. TW's Midwestern competition was my default tennis shop. My aunt used to take me there as a child for new tennis clothes and equipment. I loved seeing all the gear and the vendors in addition to the usual souvenirs and trinkets. I'll be sad if it moves to Charlotte or anywhere else for that matter.
 
Purestriker said:
You must be from Mason, or Cleveland. Not from Charlotte but it’s better city and NC is a better state. Is whet it is.
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I’m not from any of those places. Charlotte just isn’t remotely competitive with most other Masters 1000 cities, neither does it have the tournament heritage like Cincinnati.
 
JeffG said:
She’s not playing the first match. She’s later in the afternoon, not before 3:00. Also not letting it go. She’s gotten a lot of unearned breaks along the way, including being (over)promoted in Cincy this year.
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I guess the WTA Order of play was wrong. is she being promoted in Cincinnati? I haven't seen anything about her. Yes, you definitely need to let it go. There are more important things in tennis to worry about. sheesh.
 
Terminetters said:
This breaks my heart to hear this. I grew up in Cincinnati and going to that tournament. TW's Midwestern competition was my default tennis shop. My aunt used to take me there as a child for new tennis clothes and equipment. I loved seeing all the gear and the vendors in addition to the usual souvenirs and trinkets. I'll be sad if it moves to Charlotte or anywhere else for that matter.
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I think the new owner is trying to drive the event to Charlotte. He has made a mess of what was a great family / fan focused event and turned it into a money grabbing boondoggle to finance it's departure and new location.
 
worse would be to have a Pickle ball promoting tent and lesser evil a WEF endorsed zebugs Corndog stand
 
JeffG said:
I’m not from any of those places. Charlotte just isn’t remotely competitive with most other Masters 1000 cities, neither does it have the tournament heritage like Cincinnati.
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Except it’s not in Cincinnati. Move it to Chicago, way better town.
 
Purestriker said:
Except it’s not in Cincinnati. Move it to Chicago, way better town.
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Navarro's "Charlotte" plan was out in the burbs, too, so wouldn't have improved that situation. Chicago would make sense, hence my reference to better, world class cities - a group Charlotte isn't in any more than Cincinnati. Navarro clearly was pitting the cities against each other in a public subsidy war. The dude made his fortune in the low score, high interest, aggressive collections credit racket. It's not surprising that the changes he's making are all about the money - fans and players be damned. The Cincy tournament was one of the few things the USTA (with a lot of help) did consistently well and they sold it to a bottom feeder for a temporary bump in their bank account.
 
JeffG said:
Navarro's "Charlotte" plan was out in the burbs, too, so wouldn't have improved that situation. Chicago would make sense, hence my reference to better, world class cities - a group Charlotte isn't in any more than Cincinnati. Navarro clearly was pitting the cities against each other in a public subsidy war. The dude made his fortune in the low score, high interest, aggressive collections credit racket. It's not surprising that the changes he's making are all about the money - fans and players be damned. The Cincy tournament was one of the few things the USTA (with a lot of help) did consistently well and they sold it to a bottom feeder for a temporary bump in their bank account.
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where in Chicago could they hold this? Sans the Lavar Cup which is a exhibition or something, has Chicago done any big tennis event?
 
silentkman said:
Show me the quotes? For the players it's a business trip.
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Some of the players have complained over the years about the suburban location. If they stay in a hotel near the complex, there's not much to do during their down times. That said, some players have always stayed downtown and made the relatively short commute. Charlotte would have been the same way, with the proposed new tennis complex out in the suburbs well away from city center. Chicago was just a suggestion here, not any sort of real proposal. They'd likely have to build a complex. For what it's worth, there are always A LOT of Chicagoans at the Cincy Open. We met eight different couples just standing in the entrance line this year and were often surrounded by Cubs/Bears/Blackhawks gear in the stands.

To be clear, though, the current Cincy deal is supposedly for 20 years, so no move worries for a a good while if all the parties keep it together.
 
silentkman said:
Show me the quotes? For the players it's a business trip.
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Go look at Kasatkina's Tik Tok. Nice video of the glamours ciity view (highway from her hotel). Look, we all love our cities and are nostalgic about it, but Ohio (and MI) are not key destinations. I think the setup is better than the dumpster fire Miami has right now, but there are better destinations to have an event at in the US.
 
silentkman said:
where in Chicago could they hold this? Sans the Lavar Cup which is a exhibition or something, has Chicago done any big tennis event?
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You can start in the united center and then they could build a world class facility. You also have the bay area, LA and San Deigo that have facilities and hosted events in the past. All better destinations.
 
Purestriker said:
Go look at Kasatkina's Tik Tok. Nice video of the glamours ciity view (highway from her hotel). Look, we all love our cities and are nostalgic about it, but Ohio (and MI) are not key destinations. I think the setup is better than the dumpster fire Miami has right now, but there are better destinations to have an event at in the US.
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Wow, only one person. yes,, i've seen that video.
 
Purestriker said:
You can start in the united center and then they could build a world class facility. You also have the bay area, LA and San Deigo that have facilities and hosted events in the past. All better destinations.
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The United Center is a Ridiculous option. Name one 1000 event that has been held in something similair like the United Center.
 
silentkman said:
Wow, only one person. yes,, i've seen that video.
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How about you find a player that says something positive about the location. Look, even Michigan is a better destination (Great lake, golf, etc). I would take St. Joe over Mason, OH anytime.
Maybe build a stadium actually in Cincy and you will have a better argument.
 
Purestriker said:
How about you find a player that says something positive about the location. Look, even Michigan is a better destination (Great lake, golf, etc). I would take St. Joe over Mason, OH anytime.
Maybe build a stadium actually in Cincy and you will have a better argument.
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Dude you said that players hate it, yet you find ONE video by ONE Player. You can find ONE player that hates every tournament on the schedule. Most big tournament are held in the suburbs. BTW, OHio has a ton of golf courses. Try again
 
silentkman said:
Dude you said that players hate it, yet you find ONE video by ONE Player. You can find ONE player that hates every tournament on the schedule. Most big tournament are held in the suburbs. BTW, OHio has a ton of golf courses. Try again
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Michigan has you beat on golf and a better Great Lake.

As for the players, your right they would rather be at the Fairfield inn in Mason, OH than Monte Carlo.
 
Purestriker said:
Michigan has you beat on golf and a better Great Lake.

As for the players, your right they would rather be at the Fairfield inn in Mason, OH than Monte Carlo.
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No facts as usual regarding Ohio vs Michigan regarding golf. Now you are comparing Mason Vs Monte Carlo. craziness. The king of conjecture. Still only one player.
 
silentkman said:
No facts as usual regarding Ohio vs Michigan regarding golf. Now you are comparing Mason Vs Monte Carlo. craziness. The king of conjecture. Still only one player.
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I have played golf in both. It is not even close. My wife's friend is a member of Muirfield in Dublin, OH course and its nice, but Crystal Downs is better (#15 on the list) and I think Arcadia is better destination course. As for the Monte Carlo quip, that is how you are acting about a suburb being amazing. Look, I get it your not objective about your home town. But it just is not a top destination. People travel to go to these tournaments, I can name 10 large market cities are just better towns. By the way, I can name 100 better than my current states ITF tournament. That is called self awareness and when the players talk about how it's a great tournament, I know they are not talking about the town.

Facts on golf = https://www.golfdigest.com/story/americas-100-greatest-golf-courses-ranking
 
Purestriker said:
I have played golf in both. It is not even close. My wife's friend is a member of Muirfield in Dublin, OH course and its nice, but Crystal Downs is better (#15 on the list) and I think Arcadia is better destination course. As for the Monte Carlo quip, that is how you are acting about a suburb being amazing. Look, I get it your not objective about your home town. But it just is not a top destination. People travel to go to these tournaments, I can name 10 large market cities are just better towns. By the way, I can name 100 better than my current states ITF tournament. That is called self awareness and when the players talk about how it's a great tournament, I know they are not talking about the town.

Facts on golf = https://www.golfdigest.com/story/americas-100-greatest-golf-courses-ranking
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Thanks for the list which I've already reviewed. Honestly, I think Golf is boring. The point is the suburbs can handle a 1000 or greater tournaments. Most big cities don't have the land to hold that type of tournament. Even the U.S. Open is help at a park in Queens. I never said it was my hometown. However, i do like Ohio. From all indications people that have attended that I know and posts on this forum have had a great time. Nobody cares about ITF tournaments except the lower rank players to get points. ITF seriously?
 
The physical location of the facility in Mason by the highway isn’t the most appealing to the eyeball compared to historical metropolitan locations, but I believe one big factor as to why Cinci has continued to be able to support such an event is that they are within a half-day drive to 60% of the population in the US (and a majority % of Canada too).

I’m sure Charlotte can boast roughly the same claim but Cinci is overall an easy location to access for fans and is relatively affordable to visit.
 
Dberger820 said:
The physical location of the facility in Mason by the highway isn’t the most appealing to the eyeball compared to historical metropolitan locations, but I believe one big factor as to why Cinci has continued to be able to support such an event is that they are within a half-day drive to 60% of the population in the US (and a majority % of Canada too).

I’m sure Charlotte can boast roughly the same claim but Cinci is overall an easy location to access for fans and is relatively affordable to visit.
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Yep. Economic development folks in Cincinnati, Louisville, and Indianapolis continuously promote their respective cities with what you just said-- easily accessible, comparatively low cost hubs. The Cincy Open is the only significant tennis event left in the U.S. near the middle of the country. Also, I know the WTA at least considers weather similarities for tournaments so close to the US Open. The Charlotte threat was just a matter of Navarro flexing his political muscle to procure increased subsidies.
 
The retailer that starts with an F and is based in PA bought TP a couple months back after the European holding company that owned it filed for insolvency. Wonder if they’re more focused on righting the ship and integrating the business models before doing any large scale events / activations
 
Purestriker said:
How about you find a player that says something positive about the location. Look, even Michigan is a better destination (Great lake, golf, etc). I would take St. Joe over Mason, OH anytime.
Maybe build a stadium actually in Cincy and you will have a better argument.
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but no Cedar Point
 
the_faceless_player said:
The retailer that starts with an F and is based in PA bought TP a couple months back after the European holding company that owned it filed for insolvency. Wonder if they’re more focused on righting the ship and integrating the business models before doing any large scale events / activations
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Didn’t know about this. MW used to keep up with TW until it was sold and I just don’t feel like they are in the same league any longer. Hopefully this makes the retail tennis market stronger in the future.
 
I don't think it will make it stronger. With that company way south there and the company in the area near Cincinnati being purchased by the same company that means consolidation and less options/pricing completion between the retailers. Not that there is much if any already.

I like TW as I like their tennis vibe and focus and so typically I will buy from them even if it costs a tad more because I know they are into the sport and do their leg work.

I would order on occasion from the vendor near the tournament when they were locally owned but I saw a definite change when they were purchased and so unless I need something right away I will go to TW.
 
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