I'll be the jerk. It helps in many ways. If the women want equal treatment, they have to understand that it also involves the pros and the cons. The dreaded super late night match that many men have endured for many years now is also part of the women's game. And as somebody said above, how many people stuck around for the Wozniaki match last night? 1/4 of what was there for Nadal's? So this can provide real data for the equal pay policy if it is about who sells more tickets (a financial decision) as opposed to the Politically Correct decision.
I wonder how many people would have walked out of the stadium if Rafa was playing second (and I did stay up to watch Caro)

I gotta agree with Ponchi - and with a number of the male players who have been raising this issue for years. If you want equal pay, then it is only fair that you split the late start. You very well might get a lot of people leaving after the opening match, but fair is fair.

I am also ok with the idea. The problem last night was that the USTA scheduled a very slow playing player on the men's side. Apparently they have never seen a Rafa match before. Not to mention the day session ran long.

I like it, partly because I just find early round men's matches tend to be better quality. Not sure if it's true, but I watch more men's first week, more balanced in the second week. They could maybe put a cap on it though, like 11:30 start or move to the other show court.

That's messed up for ticket holders who want and paid for the women's match and a men's match.

http://www.talkabouttennis.com/forum...milies/yes.gif

I agree.

I voted good - why should the men be the only ones who end up playing after midnight? There have been plenty of times where the mens' match didn't start until after 10pm - I don't see how it's any different for the womens' match to start late and finish after midnight.

The women need to be treated like the men to justify equal pay (yes I'm for women playing five sets at majors) so this is fair.

I agree with you in theory, but the WTA does seem to have an edge in utterly painful to watch matches. I shudder to think of some being extended up to another two sets.

If they made the women's matches 5 setters in the slams....I wouldn't at all mind rotating who goes first at the night sessions http://forum.talkabouttennis.com/ima...lies/smile.png

But having both matches start at 8pm? Bad bad bad idea. We'd have to choose between the matches....Good tickets for Ashe Stadium are too expensive for that.

I for one would stay until the last ball was played http://forum.talkabouttennis.com/ima...lies/smile.png

There seems to be some erroneous information in this thread. The night session begins at 7PM. It started late last night because the day session ran long.

You're right! I feel stupid (shut up Nelslus). But I still think it's a bad idea.

True, but boy was it ever empty last night! So it's a trade-off with most people at Ashe leaving early vs bonus night match on another show court. Remember, we're talking about the rare case (I think?) where the scheduled 7pm match goes past 11:30!

I wonder...what the TV ranking was! I had decided to go to bed but...when Chelsey came out and had that fab start I decided to watch it http://forum.talkabouttennis.com/ima...lies/smile.png Caro's not a big attraction for me and I think....that who is playing has a lot to do with whether people stay or not.

Most people who go to night matches at the BJKTC know what they are in for.

Agree, as usual.

Perfect idea! So I can to bed earlier and dont have to watch a lot of WTA boring matches before the real match begins! At least in earlier rounds, it helps me a lot!

POLL: Men first on Ashe at night? Good idea?
 

Is sharing the 8:00pm start time between the men and the woman a good idea? Is it fair? Unfair?

I just complained about this, sort of, in the other thread. I voted bad idea but I believe it is both a good idea and a bad idea.

Bad for tennis fans b/c they would have to choose between either the men or the women. Having been to Ashe for the night session....I don't think it is a good idea to break up the tradition of having a premier women's match and men's match.

On the other hand...GOOD b/c like I said in the other thread...it is unfair to have a woman's two set match start at 11:50pm!!! Men's matches, by virtue of being three sets are going to take much longer than the women's matches the majority of the time...and if they happen to be a record-setting match, God help the women that have to play after them! But I also recognize that...it would be unfair for the men to always have to wait for the women's match to finish and never get their chance at going first.

Horrible idea.