Why are they starting 5 set matches at 21.00?

[Terry Tibbs]

Ok yes its great that they now finally have a roof which means weather and light cant stop play. But why on earth are they starting 5 set matches at 21.00hrs? especially at this tournament were rallies tend to be longer. It's absolutely absurd.

As it was I think the Nadal Djokovic match finished after 01.00 but if Djokovic had won that 4th set tie break you are looking at a potential 2-3am finish meaning by the time they shower and wind down etc the winning player probably isnt getting to sleep before 5am. This surely has to have significant rest and recuperation issues for the winning player going into his next match.

In addition, how do spectators get home who have to rely on public transport which wont be running at that time?

This is all very simply avoided by bringing the match forward by 3-4 hrs. I honestly dont understand the logic. It's an utter nonsence.

 

[darthrafa]

simple answer - tv money

 

[Terry Tibbs]

simple answer - tv money

Player welfare should come first though surely.

 

[weakera]

It seems like the only properly run slam is the US Open.

 

[Terry Tibbs]

It seems like the only properly run slam is the US Open.

Dont they also have late finishes there though as well?

 

[pj80]

simple answer - tv money

how much tv money are they generating at 1:00 am... wouldn't they make more an hour or 2 earlier?

 

[junior74]

Wilander asked Ruud when he thought he was ready to go to bed after the match. Ruud explained the proceedings: Interviews, press conference, cooling down, cycling, recuperating, massage, showering, eating. Bedtime: 04 - "if I am lucky", Ruud said.

 

[Terry Tibbs]

how much tv money are they generating at 1:00 am... wouldn't they make more an hour or 2 earlier?

Exactly. I had decided my TV would be going off and I would be going to bed after that 4th set tie break of the Nadal match regardless who won the set. Just far too late.

 

[darthrafa]

how much tv money are they generating at 1:00 am... wouldn't they make more an hour or 2 earlier?

an extra night ticket to furnish viewers of Amazon Prime, not when the broadcasters are paying a reported 12.5 million Euros for the privilege., quoted from Daily Mail

Also why u would look at the finishing time? starting 9pm looks fine with the broadcaster though it does not make sense to the players
they are also thinking about ppl off work and finishing dinner shall be able to sit down around 9pm

that said, it is still ridiculous.

 

[Terry Tibbs]

I've also just noticed that both of the mens semi finals are being played at the same time! Christ what a horrendously run tournament. Disgraceful.

 

[ibbi]

Honestly, it’s not smart, but the US and Aussie Opens put two matches on and don’t their night sessions start at 7/8? It’s not that big a difference. They both regularly go on into the wee small hours. (Don’t see people wrapped in blankets though, which is a key difference )

Anyway, I believe Amazon wanted it to start at 9 so as to go after the prime time news.

 

[junior74]

I've also just noticed that both of the mens semi finals are being played at the same time! Christ what a horrendously run tournament. Disgraceful.

So disappointing for tennis fans...

 

[darthrafa]

I've also just noticed that both of the mens semi finals are being played at the same time! Christ what a horrendously run tournament. Disgraceful.

u r too naive
the time inserted is tentative

 

[Wander]

Player welfare should come first though surely.

Should, but the money men don't give two pieces of excrement about the players.

 

[helterskelter]

Wilander asked Ruud when he thought he was ready to go to bed after the match. Ruud explained the proceedings: Interviews, press conference, cooling down, cycling, recuperating, massage, showering, eating. Bedtime: 04 - "if I am lucky", Ruud said.

They really need to cancel late night interviews/press conferences, at least for the victor, who is sticking around at the event and has the next day off so can do the interviews then.

 

[Terry Tibbs]

u r too naive
the time inserted is tentative

I thought it was strange. Its on my flashscores app. It says both matches are starting at 13.45 tomorrow.

 

[darthrafa]

Honestly, it’s not smart, but the US and Aussie Opens put two matches on and don’t their night sessions start at 7/8? It’s not that big a difference. They both regularly go on into the wee small hours. (Don’t see people wrapped in blankets though, which is a key difference )

Anyway, I believe Amazon wanted it to start at 9 so as to go after the prime time news.

u miss the point that when uso and ao are held, they are around summer time, so the temperature wont do any harm to players like fo, which is stupid

 

[pj80]

I've also just noticed that both of the mens semi finals are being played at the same time! Christ what a horrendously run tournament. Disgraceful.

they have not scheduled them yet...
Google just put first possible start time for either match...they will change it once the schedule is available.

 

[zuluzazu]

I've also just noticed that both of the mens semi finals are being played at the same time! Christ what a horrendously run tournament. Disgraceful.

Its just a placeholder time being used by Google until the official schedule is out

 

[darthrafa]

I thought it was strange. Its on my flashscores app. It says both matches are starting at 13.45 tomorrow.

those silly apps would wont allow it left blank

 

[Terry Tibbs]

Its just a placeholder time being used by Google until the official schedule is out

Ah ok.

 

[junior74]

They really need to cancel late night interviews/press conferences, at least for the victor, who is sticking around at the event and has the next day off so can do the interviews then.

These guys are so dependant on sleep to be able to perform. Ruud also mentioned the obvious: It takes hours for the adrenaline to leave the system, so it takes hours to be able to sleep after a match...

I guess they become good at sleeping when they have a chance. I've heard tennis players often take naps.

 

[aldeayeah]

It seems like the only properly run slam is the US Open.

maybe because it's the only one that doesn't have to bend the schedule to accomodate the american tv market

even they used to have some terrible stuff, such as Super Saturday - cramming the late rounds into the weekend prime slots with no regard to rest between rounds

 

[ChrisRF]

Exactly. I had decided my TV would be going off and I would be going to bed after that 4th set tie break of the Nadal match regardless who won the set. Just far too late.

I could never do that if I'm really interested in something. Even when I had to go up the earliest in my life (which was during my school days) I would have watched till the end. Otherwise I wouldn't have slept anyway, and maybe for longer than the match actually went on, because I would have always asked myself what happens.

 

[Terry Tibbs]

I could never do that if I'm really interested in something. Even when I had to go up the earliest in my life (which was during my school days) I would have watched till the end. Otherwise I wouldn't have slept anyway, and maybe for longer than the match actually went on, because I would have always asked myself what happens.

Im not a fan of either Nadal or Djokovic so only really had a moderate interest in it from a sporting occasion point of view. If it was Federer playing I may have stayed up.

 

[Slicehand]

Money

 

[Slicehand]

Player welfare should come first though surely.

Like in society? Where peoples well being is put above money?

 

[Terenigma]

Player welfare should come first though surely.

LOL not even players like Djokovic or Nadal get special treatment if that special treatment comes at the cost of the event losing money. Money is the sole reason that every ridiculous decision gets made in tennis and most sports. Remember that year at RG when they forced players to play in light rain because of them being behind in the schedule and couldn't afford to extend the tournament nor wanted to refund the tickets to day ticket holders?

 

[helterskelter]

These guys are so dependant on sleep to be able to perform. Ruud also mentioned the obvious: It takes hours for the adrenaline to leave the system, so it takes hours to be able to sleep after a match...

I guess they become good at sleeping when they have a chance. I've heard tennis players often take naps.

It'd be interesting to discover how much better they could be if they were sufficiently well rested. I sometimes wonder how high the standard could actually be. Of course, they are pretty good. But late nights and then playing the next day mean they aren't at their best.

And only a small fraction of the world's population even tries tennis. In a hypothetical in which every single person decided to devote themselves to becoming as good at tennis as they could be, how much higher would the standard be than it is? I don't think there's an answer to that question, but I think it's an interesting one.

 

[TimHenmanATG]

Is this going to be the new excuse once Zed dismantles the Rafa myth tomorrow?!

 

[Terry Tibbs]

These guys are so dependant on sleep to be able to perform. Ruud also mentioned the obvious: It takes hours for the adrenaline to leave the system, so it takes hours to be able to sleep after a match...

I guess they become good at sleeping when they have a chance. I've heard tennis players often take naps.

Exactly. The margins at this level are so fine and everything has to be on point including sleep which is so key.

 

[Rattie]

simple answer - tv money

Most of the tv audience won’t be sitting up til gone 1am.
An evening match should start at 7-7.30pm.

 

[darthrafa]

Most of the tv audience won’t be sitting up til gone 1am.
An evening match should start at 7-7.30pm.

they wont care coz money earned at the start, not finish

 

[Fairhit]

American viewership.

 

[UnforcedTerror]

 

[Curtennis]

Most of the tv audience won’t be sitting up til gone 1am.
An evening match should start at 7-7.30pm.

Maybe most of western Europe won’t be. But Americans are still up at 6pm and unable to watch for the most part before 5 pm.

 

[MS_07]

It seems like the only properly run slam is the US Open.

It seems like the only properly run slam is was the Bimbllledon US Open before they accepted 5th set tie break

 

[Terenigma]

Most of the tv audience won’t be sitting up til gone 1am.
An evening match should start at 7-7.30pm.

Uh, yes they will? 9-1pm in Paris time is 8-12pm in the UK and in America it's another like 5-6 hours before that depending where you're from. TV Audiences doesn't just mean in the home country of where the tournament is being held.

 

[darthrafa]

Uh, yes they will? 9-1pm in Paris time is 8-12pm in the UK and in America it's another like 5-6 hours before that depending where you're from. TV Audiences doesn't just mean in the home country of where the tournament is being held.

from this subject, i realize many ppl dont know what is happening in the world and how it operates