Indian Wells, 2000, a stain of the WTA, regardless of what you think the reasons are. The Tour Chamionship match. Another pull-out. THis time, they found a better way.
It's was Anke's last tournament. So they had HER play a set with Serena (which Serena won 8-6). I think that might prove to be a solution for the crowds. Designate certain players "not-as-lucky'- losers. They'd asked, for a fee, to stay an extra day after their first loss, to play an exhibition set if there's going to be a walkover.
The tournament could designate more than one player, keeping the higher ranking players for later. This is strictly exhibition. If the 'nal'-loser wins, they don't go on in the tournament. But the crowd gets a good consolation prize, and the 'nal'-loser gets the fee for playing the match.
At Sanex for example, Serena played Anke.
But if it's a California tournament, and Lindsay loses in the QF's, she might agree to stay around a day, just in case there's a walkover, in which case she would play in the exhibition match.
If the tournament is in Australia, wouldn't the crowd rather see a set of Alicia Molik vs say Serena, than nothing at all. And extra couple grand inthe pot for the player staying for the potential exhibition is all it would take.
If the tournament is in Spain, they might choose Conchi regardless of ranking. This is all voluntary by the players, of course. But it might be a solution for walkovers.
It's was Anke's last tournament. So they had HER play a set with Serena (which Serena won 8-6). I think that might prove to be a solution for the crowds. Designate certain players "not-as-lucky'- losers. They'd asked, for a fee, to stay an extra day after their first loss, to play an exhibition set if there's going to be a walkover.
The tournament could designate more than one player, keeping the higher ranking players for later. This is strictly exhibition. If the 'nal'-loser wins, they don't go on in the tournament. But the crowd gets a good consolation prize, and the 'nal'-loser gets the fee for playing the match.
At Sanex for example, Serena played Anke.
But if it's a California tournament, and Lindsay loses in the QF's, she might agree to stay around a day, just in case there's a walkover, in which case she would play in the exhibition match.
If the tournament is in Australia, wouldn't the crowd rather see a set of Alicia Molik vs say Serena, than nothing at all. And extra couple grand inthe pot for the player staying for the potential exhibition is all it would take.
If the tournament is in Spain, they might choose Conchi regardless of ranking. This is all voluntary by the players, of course. But it might be a solution for walkovers.