French tennis chiefs want new date for Paris Masters

PARIS—French tennis bosses, dismayed by the absence of five of the world’s top ten from the Paris Masters, demanded that the tournament be moved to a new slot in the calendar.
The two-million-euro tournament, the penultimate ATP event of the year, has been decimated by the withdrawals of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, David Nalbandian, Andy Roddick and Ivan Ljubicic.
It is the second successive year that half of the top 10 have skipped the event and the French Tennis Federation (FFT) has had enough.
“The French Tennis Federation wishes the Paris Masters be advanced by one or two weeks in the international calendar and that all the top players be required to take part,” said a FFT statement Saturday.
“A more severe rule should be put in place in case of non-participation and the possibility of a suspension be applied.
“The credibility of our circuit and the efforts needed in terms of budget and investments, thanks to our partner sponsors, deserve from now on to have the best players taking part in the big tournaments of 2007.”
The ATP calendar is due for a complete overhaul by 2009, but the FFT wants to see reform stepped-up.
Etienne de Villiers, the president of the ATP, has already outlined changes for 2007 which will include most tournaments having best-of-three-set finals. At the moment, 13 events feature best-of-five sets finals.
The WTA and the ATP have already discussed having four combined, mandatory events offering equal prize money for men and women by 2009 - two in the United States in March, one in Europe before the French Open and one in the autumn in Asia or Europe.
But that has led to opposition. Europe’s three Masters clay court events in Monte Carlo, Rome and Hamburg - all crucial warm-up events for the French Open - could be under threat from the new plan.
On Saturday, the FFT demanded immediate talks on the proposals. “Concerning the four proposed mixed tournaments, the French Tennis Federation wishes that a process of negotiation be put in place and that precise rules be established,” said the statement. The women’s WTA Tour is also undergoing a review of its programme after the number of withdrawals of the world’s top players from tournaments tripled in 2006 compared to 2005.
Amongst their proposals is to reduced the mandatory number of events from 13 to 11 but firming up fines for no-shows and looking for more breathing space in an already crowded schedule.—Agencies