Really stupid of them to put both Henin-Maria and Jelena-Boderenko matches last today. Was near total darkness when both 2nd sets were completed. Even I had a hard time seeing the ball on TV, and that was after they "brightened" the coverage of the entire 2nd set!
Someone should be answerable for this mess. Especially when it ruined the players chances of winning a GS.
Put up some damn lights! It's so frustrating and doesn't make sense why they don't have them. It's not fair to the players, the spectators, and the fans watching on TV.
As in Wimbledon, tradition is holding them back.
It will be the same for the hawkeye, they do not want to stop seeing the chair umpire climb down the ladder and check the mark.
Really stupid of them to put both Henin-Maria and Jelena-Boderenko matches last today. Was near total darkness when both 2nd sets were completed. Even I had a hard time seeing the ball on TV, and that was after they "brightened" the coverage of the entire 2nd set!
Someone should be answerable for this mess. Especially when it ruined the players chances of winning a GS.
They really should put women's matches on first. A) They're shorter and B) Women's tennis is blatantly less popular than men's, so why have people come out early in the day to watch when they could come after lunch time
Borrow some lights for two weeks and put them on the two show courts. They can stay with tradition where they have no night matches scheduled. But they would be able to finish the day matches and please the French home crowd. Raise the tickets by x% and ask for donations. It would really aid this Slam. And yet they are complaining about the present site and a desire to move and won't out up lights?
It shouldn't cost that much to put up lights and then take them down. Its a stupid thing for this not to have already been done.
I've read that Justine has eyesight difficulties and that night matches are hard for her always, so to be playing in near-darkness might be part of why she had trouble in the last three games, especially if she knows this is a problem for her and she was putting pressure on herself to close it out quickly.
RG organizers have made some absolutely bone-headed decisions this last week: Gasquet/Murray on Lenglen and not Chatrier; Roddick on Chatrier with Nadal on Lenglen for their first round matches (??); having such late matches today when they could have utilized the courts more and spread matches around (I agree that Djokovic on Chatrier today was unecessary); and tomorrow's scheduling with Tsonga/Youzhny, one of the most anticipated matches of the day, happening so late after so many other matches (Dementieva on Chatrier is incredibly unecessary for the crowd and everyone, so they better hope she wins quickly).
They did it to accommodate the men. The guys are behind and the organizers believe that it is easier for the woman to play a set one day, then a best of 3 set match the next day than it is for men to play 2 to 3 sets and then an best of 5 set match in back to back days. So they made the decision that the men HAD to get caught up today, hence the scheduling of all women's matches to end the day. :shrug: It's wasn't incompetence, but a conscious decision to allow the men to get back on schedule and have days off between matches with the understanding that the women could possibly win their matches quickly and be fully caught up. Or at worse have an easier time playing back to back days because the matches are shorter.
RG organizers have made some absolutely bone-headed decisions this last week: Gasquet/Murray on Lenglen and not Chatrier; Roddick on Chatrier with Nadal on Lenglen for their first round matches (??); having such late matches today when they could have utilized the courts more and spread matches around (I agree that Djokovic on Chatrier today was unecessary); and tomorrow's scheduling with Tsonga/Youzhny, one of the most anticipated matches of the day, happening so late after so many other matches (Dementieva on Chatrier is incredibly unecessary for the crowd and everyone, so they better hope she wins quickly).
I predicted yesterday that the Maria match would not have time to be played. Why put the showpiece match of the 3rd round on when it can't possibly be finished? Sheer incompetence!
And now whoever wins will be at a big disadvantage against Serena.
There have been quite a few men's matches suspended or postponed. It isn't a gender-related issue. And it's not such a big deal - weather and light delays are one of the things that have always happened in slams, and players just have to deal with it.
There have been a few more specific issues. Playing on in the Monfils match was ludicrous, and I did wonder why they didn't move Henin-Shara to Court One, as that finished quite a while before PC, and the late hour was clearly becoming a problem.
There have been quite a few men's matches suspended or postponed. It isn't a gender-related issue. And it's not such a big deal - weather and light delays are one of the things that have always happened in slams, and players just have to deal with it.
Weather delays, yes, thats understandable....but when a venue cant or wont upgrade their facilities to come into the 21st century like all the other grand slams.....maybe they should move then.....
I think the whole schedule is jacked up. Anybody with sense would know that that Henin Sharapova match would not get finished in time. Lights really would solve the problem.
Well, that's why everybody turns around and rants about how slams are "special" compared to regular tour events. You have to overcome more to win one. Lots of players have been jacked with because of the schedule.
i was there when monfils played until 10pm. you could still see there. they couldve at least started the third set. i was surprised marias coach told her to stop since the momentum was on her side in that stage of the match.