[AjdeNate!]

I was thinking about this: for some of the smaller events (particularly in the US)....maybe they could alternate cities like every year. For instance...

2002 Memphis<br />2003 Chicago<br />2004 Oklahoma City<br />2005 St Louis

That way it's spreads the 'wealth' out and gives more fans a chance to catch some matches.

Obviously the bigger markets would have to keep their respective tourneys (LA, US Open, etc).

Just an idea.

 

[AjdeNate!]

I still like this idea...

 

[Sam L]

I agree. In fact if you remember the US Hardcourt Championships (now Pilot Pen tennis), it used to be played like that.

In the late 80's it was in San Antonio, Texas and then it moved around a bit and got to Atlanta, Georgia in the mid-90's before settling in New Haven, Connecticut.

Perhaps they could still move it around and rename it US Hardcourts. Although I really like the Connecticut Tennis Center and I think it's a good venue.

Perhaps US Claycourts C'ships and move around places like Houston, Atlanta, Florida.

Or US Indoors C'ships and move around too.

This could of course even work in certain other countries like German Open for instance has a lot of German cities to move around to.

Remember the Canadian Open is pretty much doing what you're suggesting now too.

 

[Rollo]

I'll play devil's advocate and disagree. Because the US Hard Courts and Indoors are USTA events the USTA can absorb the financial losses. And losses there were when those events were shuffled around. The Indoor was great in Minneapolis(over 50,000 in 1978) until for some silly reason they moved it about until it had no name recognition at all. Stands were usually empty in other cities it played in. Now it's a nice tier 3 event, but tier 3 nonetheless.

Canada works because neither city is without tennis for a year. They simply switch off the men and women.

I DO think it works if the two cities are close enough. That way media coverage is doubled, real dedicated fans simply drive the extra 2 hours to the other city, and people don't forget. Events often take years to build name recognition.

Under the right conditions I can see it

 

[Zummi]

The U.S. Hardcourts did not move just because. There were financial considerations which caused the first move from San Antonio to Stratton Mountain, Vermont. After a two-year run there, it went off the radar for the next two years. The success of the Summer Olympics in Atlanta drilled up enough interest to resurrect it in 1997 in Atlanta, before New Haven bought the rights the following year where it has stayed ever since.

As for the U.S. Indoors in Bloomington, Minnesota, it is interesting to know that the Memphis event, which moved from Oklahoma City, has been christened the U.S. Indoors again. This is one tournament that goes a long way in history and prior to this latest reincarnation was last held, I think, in 1987 when it had been in Princeton, New Jersey for a couple of years.