[KLhdfskja]

Because it is so much in vogue to be tired/injured for the fall tournaments.
Some injuries one can assume are very real, because of timing, obvious discomfort on court or the character of the player. For example, Nadal's injury at the French was very real, given that then he subsequently missed Wimbledon. Because of Roddck's nature, I tend to believe him when he says he was injured during the match with Wawrinka.
Del Potro's wrist injury has a little puff of smoke around it, I think. He has not played a whole lot since the U.S.O. Actually, he has lost one match in Japan, and then did not finish the one in Shanghai. Total number of sets: 3, since the USO.
Roger's fatigue is questionable, I think (and before the Roger fans come nail me, I used to be a Roger fan too). Just look at his schedule. After Madrid, he took one week off, played RG, two weeks off, played Wimby, almost a FULL MONTH OFF, played Canada and Cincy, one week off, and then the USO. Since then... nothing.
I agree that the season is way too long, but fatigue seems to me a bit more iffy. The top players, winning plenty of tournaments and getting to semis and finals, get to chose their schedule. They can work some pretty significant rest in between major tournaments. The other players usually play 1 or 2 matches, get eliminated, and then have 3 to 4 days before their next tournament.
I'll leave it here.

[Filling25]

Sorry Ponchi! I disagree! The season its obviously too long!

Australlian Open should be moved 2-3 weeks further in the calendary! Would have a Masters Series before it! Miami and Indian Wells would turn into a 1-week only event and been separated by a week between the end of one and the start of the other. We would have just 2 masters series in clay and Roland Garros would be earlier. Should have a Masters Series on grass and Wimbledon could be a week later! I'm totally Ok with the american hardcourts summer calendary! This Asian Swing should go right to the Masters Cup with no Paris Masters Series in -between! Paris already have a Grand Slam! So the year end championships would be 2 or 3 weeks earlierayed in Asia (This is a mess for my life, I'm 11-12 hours after their time-zone) to save the players a good chance of rest!

Players would be more inteligent too! Stop playing Abu Dhabi XO's! Stop playing smaller tournaments for records, points and money! A top player should not play more than 15 tournaments in a year! Thats it! Not a magical solution but some simple adjustments to make the players to have some real rest and enough traininng time for the next season!

This would give players a new perspective over davis cup participation too! A have no doubt with that Federer with a proper calendary would have reache at least a davis cup final. Nadal would have tons of it! And so it goes...

[BamSaitinypap]

Players would be more inteligent too! Stop playing Abu Dhabi XO's! Stop playing smaller tournaments for records, points and money! A top player should not play more than 15 tournaments in a year! Thats it! Not a magical solution but some simple adjustments to make the players to have some real rest and enough traininng time for the next season!

I read this as "Stop playing Abu Dhabi kisses and hugs!"

But on the subject of the long season, have we hashed out why there seems to be no movement on the front of switching Davis Cup to an every-other-year, held in 2 weeks in one city format? Is it because of all the money that is raised in the current format? As with everything in this discussion, I'm assuming it's about the money, but just hadn't remembered this being brought up in a while.

[Carfanate]

I dunno... the clear idea to me is to eliminate the mandatory "doctor's note only" nature of the tournaments. I realize that there is already a sort of culture of technical passes emerging, but why should they have to play lip service at all? Play what you can handle, let the ranking points work themselves out.

That way it leaves the player / team to manage themselves and weigh the pros and cons of appearing everywhere. Everyone is generally going to want to take a shot at the big points/money/title of each of the slams still, but should have the leeway to avoid a few of the next tier when it makes sense for their long-term career.

Of course, maybe I can say this as I'm not bothered by "ZOMG SLAMLESS NUMBER 1!"s. ... "I'm sorry Dinara, I'm going to let you finish your number 1 stint, but Serena has had one of the best careers of ALL TIME!"

[SannyGlow]

If they don't like the length of the season, they don't have to play. I want to watch tennis year round, so dance for me, monkeys.

[Automobill]

But on the subject of the long season, have we hashed out why there seems to be no movement on the front of switching Davis Cup to an every-other-year, held in 2 weeks in one city format? Is it because of all the money that is raised in the current format? As with everything in this discussion, I'm assuming it's about the money, but just hadn't remembered this being brought up in a while.

Worst idea EVER. The only appeal of Davis Cup is an opportunity for every elite player to play at home at least once a year and for the public to see them.

But if you live in USA, France, Australia etc you probably won't understand...

[Peretool]

If they don't like the length of the season, they don't have to play. I want to watch tennis year round, so dance for me, monkeys.

[payporanymn]

Worst idea EVER. The only appeal of Davis Cup is an opportunity for every elite player to play at home at least once a year and for the public to see them.

But if you live in USA, France, Australia etc you probably won't understand...

Sooooo, should we NOT send your nomination for next year's Nobel Peace Prize?

[BamSaitinypap]

Sooooo, should we NOT send your nomination for next year's Nobel Peace Prize?

Hey, let's be fair and recognize suliso's potential...

[BamSaitinypap]

Worst idea EVER. The only appeal of Davis Cup is an opportunity for every elite player to play at home at least once a year and for the public to see them.

But if you live in USA, France, Australia etc you probably won't understand...

Is that the main reason? Is the public opinion (outside the tennis-heavy countries) that the format isn't broken at all?

[allvideO]

Is that the main reason? Is the public opinion (outside the tennis-heavy countries) that the format isn't broken at all?

Here a article that discuss it.
I think the ITF wants to consider things that will make it(Davis Cup) better for tennis worldwide," Levering said. "The way the ITF has structured it makes it very difficult for changes to be made quickly. So that is the dilemma? What the [16] World Group countries might want may not suit the other groups, where Davis Cup is their only source of revenue. When they have ties in their home country, that is the only time they are able to make any money. So it is not in their interest to have it every other year. But yet they also have an influence on the voting should the ITF choose to make a change.

"We(United States) are, by far, the biggest national association for tennis in the world, and so - although you never have enough money to do all that you want to do - we don't really have as many of the financial problems that some of these other national associations have." http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/t...g-1074043.html

[Automobill]

Is that the main reason? Is the public opinion (outside the tennis-heavy countries) that the format isn't broken at all?

I don't know if it's the main reason, but it's got to be a significant part of it. Once in 2 years would be fine, but home and away format is what makes Davis cup relevant. Much of it's apeal is based on patriotism and supporting "your tribe" no matter what. That aspect would be almost completely lost if say Argentina and Switzerland played in Sweden. Tennis is not soccer with thousands of traveling supporters...

[SmuffNuSMaxqh]

I don't know if it's the main reason, but it's got to be a significant part of it. Once in 2 years would be fine, but home and away format is what makes Davis cup relevant. Much of it's apeal is based on patriotism and supporting "your tribe" no matter what. That aspect would be almost completely lost if say Argentina and Switzerland played in Sweden. Tennis is not soccer with thousands of traveling supporters...

It's always interesting to get a different perspective on this. It never occurred to me that for some people Davis Cup and its current format would work.

I live in Toronto (Masters Tournament) and close enough the NY (US Open) so seeing great tennis is not an issue.

I honestly have very little interest in Davis Cup specifically because of how it is spread out and skipped by many players. If it was a concentrated event then I think the competition would be better and I'd enjoy it more.

On the other hand, I'm okay to be able to see the tennis that I do and leave Davis Cup to others especially if it fills a void for many people who don't have the same opportunities as I do to watch great tennis.

[KLhdfskja]

I don't know if it's the main reason, but it's got to be a significant part of it. ...That aspect would be almost completely lost if say Argentina and Switzerland played in Sweden. Tennis is not soccer with thousands of traveling supporters...

Quick story to support what Suliso says.
Long time ago, my country reached its pinnacle in Davis Cup. We were playing the relegation match to get into the world group. And were hosts. We were playing Denmark, and on Friday, we found ourselves locked one to one. Things didn't look bad, but they did not look great either. But then, on Saturday, our two top players played the match of their lives, and supported by our increasingly hoarse-throated crowd, pulled out an amazing 5 set victory. We were one victory away from the World group.
On Sunday, our number one took a two sets to one lead, going into the 10 minute break after the third set (a brilliant rule, only enforced in DC). The stands were packed, the pots and pans were banging, there were trumpets, horns, gongs, fireworks. This was lions VS catholics at the Roman Coliseum. A tough, tight fourth set came to a tie break, which our number one lost. The fifth set went by quickly, which he lost (he never recovered), and our number 2 lost in straights to their number two.
After all the mayhem, all the chaos, the Danish players were about to flee in a hurry. But to my never ending surprise, and I don't remember why, while they were packing up we stood up and applauded them. Loud and long. The flowers that some women had bought for our players were showered on the Danes, who were perplexed. Our guys got a long ovation, and later, in the press room (I had a friend that was a reporter and we got in) the Danish number one said he would never forget that moment, because he thought he was not going to make it out of the stadium alive, only to be bathed in flowers.
That was Venezuela VS Denmark, in Caracas. As Suliso says, try to recreate that in a third country. It simply could not happen.
Davis Cup every two years in a selected country? Might as well cancel the damn thing.

Now, back to Is the Season too long question. Ivan Ljubicic going out injured in Shanghai? How many matches has he played this year?
Again, I will leave it there.

[SannyGlow]

Now, back to Is the Season too long question. Ivan Ljubicic going out injured in Shanghai? How many matches has he played this year?
Again, I will leave it there.

Ljubicic is not a good example. If I held the Opening of an Envelope Invitational in my living room, he'd enter if there was prize money.

[cemDrymnVem]

Ponchi, what a wonderful story. And as far as I'm concerned, that settles the question. When you play for your country, it is different and it has meaning. The every two years in a neutral country makes it just another tournament, and frankly, we have enough of them.

[tipoketpu]

Personally, I'd like to see Davis Cup/Fed Cup organized as multi-year events, similar to how soccer World Cup and basketball World Championships are organized. In the off-year(s), the countries in each geographic section would play each other. The top countries from each section would advance to the world group finals, which would be played in a fixed location over a 2-4 week period.

The smaller nations would get home matches for the qualifying ties. The final event would be played at a known time and place, which would make it easier to get media coverage. The countries with the top players could manage those schedules so that they get called in when they are needed.

Could this work for tennis?

[loikrso]

Tennis is not soccer with thousands of traveling supporters...

No it's not. But it does have thousands of traveling supporters.

[loikrso]

Personally, I'd like to see Davis Cup/Fed Cup organized as multi-year events, similar to how soccer World Cup and basketball World Championships are organized. In the off-year(s), the countries in each geographic section would play each other. The top countries from each section would advance to the world group finals, which would be played in a fixed location over a 2-4 week period.

The smaller nations would get home matches for the qualifying ties. The final event would be played at a known time and place, which would make it easier to get media coverage. The countries with the top players could manage those schedules so that they get called in when they are needed.

Could this work for tennis?

I think so.

But the ITF doesn't think so at all.

[Automobill]

Personally, I'd like to see Davis Cup/Fed Cup organized as multi-year events, similar to how soccer World Cup and basketball World Championships are organized. In the off-year(s), the countries in each geographic section would play each other. The top countries from each section would advance to the world group finals, which would be played in a fixed location over a 2-4 week period.

The smaller nations would get home matches for the qualifying ties. The final event would be played at a known time and place, which would make it easier to get media coverage. The countries with the top players could manage those schedules so that they get called in when they are needed.

Could this work for tennis?

No, I don't think so. Fan interest for matches not involving home team would be insufficient. Fed Cup already tried a similar format and it didn't work. Besides I see nothing wrong with the current format except the final being after WTF.