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spiceboy · Dec 13th, 2012, 11:17 PM

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/ten...ble-bronze.ap/

Tennis considers double bronze medals for 2016 Olympics

ROME (AP) -- Tennis officials are considering adding third-set tiebreakers at the 2016 Rio Olympics after marathon matches in London this year.
Also, bronze-medal matches could be eliminated to lighten the loads of players entered in multiple events.

ITF president Francesco Ricci Bitti tells The Associated Press at the European Olympic Committees meeting in Rome that the matches this year were "very balanced and very long and that ruins the scheduling somewhat."

Roger Federer beat Juan Martin del Potro 3-6, 7-6 (5), 19-17 in the London semifinals and was soundly beaten by Andy Murray in straight sets in the gold-medal match.

If bronze-medal matches are eliminated, it would mark a return to handing out two bronzes for each of the semifinal losers, as happened at the 1988 Seoul Games.

spiceboy · Dec 13th, 2012, 11:26 PM

Actually, Barcelona 1992 did give two bronze medals for the semifinalists.

If this rule had been kept until today these women would have gotten medals too.

1996
Singles: Mary Joe Fernandez
Soubles: Manon Bollegraf/Brenda Schultz-McCarthy

2000
Singles: Jelena Dokic
Doubles: Natasha Zvereva/Olga Barabanschikova

2004
Singles: Anastasia Myskina
Doubles: Ai Sugiyama/Shinobu Asagoe

2008
Singles: Na Li
Doubles: Alyona & Katerina Bondarenko

2012
Singles: Maria Kirilenko
Doubles: Liezel Huber/Lisa Raymond
Mixed: Sabine Lisicki

hellas719 · Dec 13th, 2012, 11:40 PM

Heard about this a few days ago. I disagree. This is tennis. This is not judo or wrestling where they give 2 bronzes. Do they give 2 bronzes in badminton or table tennis or beach volleyball? No!

And that extra match is total BS. They play an extra match for gold, so I fail to see why they can't play an extra match for bronze...

hellas719 · Dec 13th, 2012, 11:41 PM

And there were a few rainy days in London so the scheduling was a bit backed up. I doubt it will rain much in Rio...

faboozadoo15 · Dec 13th, 2012, 11:48 PM

I think 3rd set TB is probably a good idea considering they already expect 6 matches in 7 days.
I don't really much of a reason to remove the bronze medal match. It's at the end of the tournament anyway and doesn't need to be on the biggest court. It adds one last bit of excitement.

dsanders06 · Dec 13th, 2012, 11:49 PM

Capping the 3rd sets would be a terrible move. That's one of the things that indisputably sets the Olympics apart from the other non-Slams.

dsanders06 · Dec 13th, 2012, 11:49 PM

Capping the 3rd sets would be a terrible move. That's one of the things that indisputably sets the Olympics apart from the other non-Slams.

Mattographer · Dec 13th, 2012, 11:52 PM

Poor Nastya

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Barktra · Dec 14th, 2012, 02:19 AM

Dumb idea for both

Jose. · Dec 14th, 2012, 02:25 AM

I think doing double bronze medals would be nice, but only if it worked like in judo, where from certain stage they lose and go to repechage and get another chance at getting a medal. That would be more fair for the players who had bad draws... But if the objective is to play less time, than this will not be done.

bobito · Dec 14th, 2012, 02:28 AM

If players are playing every day then 3rd set tie-breaks are a sensible option.

Wiggly · Dec 14th, 2012, 02:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jose.

I think doing double bronze medals would be nice, but only if it worked like in judo, where from certain stage they lose and go to repechage and get another chance at getting a medal. That would be more fair for the players who had bad draws... But if the objective is to play less time, than this will not be done.

The idea is that both losing semifinalists get a bronze medal which is lame.

.Ivan. · Dec 14th, 2012, 02:33 AM

They should leave it as it is. You win medals they shouldn't be given away I don't give two shits about the scheduling they play less rounds than the slams so there really is no reason to make a change IMO. If they added a 3rd set tiebreak that would be okay but I don't think it would be necessary either.

Jose. · Dec 14th, 2012, 02:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wiggly

The idea is that both losing semifinalists get a bronze medal which is lame.

I know, I agree that way is stupid.

netphobia · Dec 14th, 2012, 02:36 AM

I don't like either idea. Double bronze medals would make it so nobody cares what happens after SFs, it'd just be "oh, I guess I'll get my medal and go home". There's no suspense or interest in that.