Last weekend’s Davis Cup tie was a spectacle that the Australian tennis public has been crying out for in recent times. Why then was the tie against Switzerland hosted by the Royal Sydney Golf Club?
Forget the farcical fashion in which the final rubber between Lleyton Hewitt and Stanislas Wawrinka was handled with relation to bad light.
Presumably, the venue was chosen after considering the impact NRL and AFL finals could have had on crowds. But when you consider that all football finals took place on Friday and Saturday nights, a Davis Cup clash at Kooyong or Sydney Olympic Park could have created the desired atmosphere.
One needs to look back at the time when Hewitt, Pat Rafter, Mark Phillippoussis and the Woodies were at the top of the tennis world, and the Davis Cup was one of the biggest events on the Australian sporting calendar.
Between 1999 and 2003, the Aussies contested four of the five Davis Cup finals; winning two including the 2003 title over Spain at Melbourne Park.
Who could forget Phillippoussis’ topsy-turvy clash against Juan Carlos Ferrero? Leading two sets to love, the ‘Poo’ capitulated losing the third and fourth sets 6-1 6-2 before recovering to take the fifth, and the title, 6-0.
The nation was glued to their screens cheering every point, as they were on that Sunday, for the first time in nearly half a decade.
Which brings me back to the original point; Davis Cup is an opportunity for the nation to unite behind a team, rather than rooting for individuals as we do throughout the year.
The last two World Group playoffs Australia has hosted have been played in Cairns and subsequently, last weekend at the Royal Sydney Golf Club. Tennis Australia need to strongly consider why they have taken this route, as we can only wonder how Sunday’s match would have transpired had Lleyton been urged on by thousands of screaming Aussies.
The beauty of having a home-ground advantage is it gives you the opportunity to utilize your players’ strengths, and we all know Hewitt thrives off having a sizable crowd on his side.
Tennis Australia have really dropped the ball on this one, not least due to the fact that last weekend we had arguably the greatest player of all time, playing in our country and the marketing of this fact was negligible.
Granted there were lingering doubts whether he would take his place so soon after the US Open, but even in Stanislas Wawrinka, you have a star of the men’s game.
Looking forward to the forthcoming years and it is obvious that Bernard Tomic is going to be the star of the show. Rightly or wrongly, the jury is still out on Tomic among the Aussie public and what better way to win them over than leading Australia back to the World Group in front of a raucous home crowd.
I can only hope that moving forward, venue considerations are given as much time as choosing the make-up of the side itself.
Something has been missing from the Australian sporting landscape in recent years and for a fleeting moment on the weekend, Davis Cup captured our imaginations once again, and I for one want it back for good.
Rory
Guest
It was the smartest thing TA has done in a while and came very close to delivering a miracle result. As Matt F says the reasons have been covered already. As for the idea that the court was sub standard, I disagree. Tennis was traditionally a grass court game, and thankfully grass is still a perfectly valid and legal surface. Not every court has to be the standard of wimbledon in july. It's a natural surface and so it is variable from place to place. After the first day at Royal Sydney I wondered if the court would hold up but it did, and provided a refreshingly different brand of tennis.
Johnno
Guest
And no cyclops machine that was working at royal Sydney . The club house was lovely though, great for the players to luiserly stroll in after for a few lime sodas.
Matt F
Roar Guru
It's been covered a few times this week already. 1. Grass was seen as the surface we had the best chance of winning on. Hewitt loves it, Tomic loves it and Wawrinka hates it. Sure Federer loves it but he would have won both of his matches anyway. 2. We had 6 weeks to prepare the tie after it was drawn. That, according to those in charge, wasn't enough time to relay a grass surface on one of the major arena's like Rod Laver or Homebush. I don't know how true that claim is but I don't have the expertise in the area to argue with them. Someone else might but not me. 3. Federer has a histroy of not playing Davis Cup matches. He didn't even confirm he was coming until a few days beforehand. Had he have converted those match points against Djokovic he probably wouldn't have arrived. I doubt a Federer-less Switzerland would have been a massive drawcard. Wawrinka may be a very good player but isn't well known enough to draw a big crowd. The big error was lighting. The fact their were no lights (even temporary ones) was farcical. They should have ended play after the 4th set or better yet, started the 2 singles days at 10 instead of 11 to ensure there would be enough light.
Johnno
Guest
But there has to be rules in place sledgehammer and others. The ATP should sanction that the courts have to be of a suitable standard and have floodlights. Yes the player solve playing at royal sydney golf club and great intimate atmosphere for the fans. After the match the players could leisurely stroll to the club house at royal sydney golf club for a soda, and kick back in the delights of the fashionable and traditional club. But it was not suitable Courts were not good enough condition No floodlights or any suitable lighting Hard to get to Not suitbale parking or public transport To small a venue for crowds ATP should step in and set minimum requirements, and say bad luck if you lose the tie you must gave a safe enough courts and suitable faculties. It was so glamour yet so amauter at royal sydney.
Sledgeandhammer
Guest
Hewitt and Tomic would have been absolutely smashed on any hardcourt surface - grass was the best option. I enjoyed Royal Sydney, but it is a shame White City is no longer available.