[Gowza]

i know she is a very promising young player who has made a bit of an impact this year but maria isn't seeded and neither is ruano pascual and they aren't american either. why were they put on such a big court for the first round? i know there are a few of factors that could be the reason:

1) sharapova is the most promising youngster
2) sharapova is being used to fill seats with her 'sex appeal' (although she's a bit young for most people)
3) sharapova trained in america.

i don't treally think they are good enough reasons to bump her ahead of the top players. players like dokic, sugiyama, maleeva, dementieva (who has been playing great tennis), bovina, pistolesi, myskina (#7 seed is on court 7 while a non-seeded match is on armstrong).

i'm a fan of sharapova but i believe that the wta are trying to make her a star too early. the AER is in place for a reason but if you ask me that's only part of the problem, the main problem is the wta (and whoever creates the schedule of play) put them in the spoptlight to early. it's fine if they win through to the 4th round or quarters or something and are put on a big court but i don't like them being put on big courts when they don't have to be. obviouosly i know it can help in the future for experience but the wta have a double-standard here imo.

 

[~RedRose~]

But also notice that on the 3 "Name" Courts .... there are 5 women's matches & 9 Mens. I don't know how Alexandra got on Grandstand whilst Myskina was dumped on court 7??!!??

 

[CamilleVidann]

The U.S. Open has been disrespectful to non-American veteran players ignoring the contribution they have made to the sport.

 

[Malin]

But Maria will bring a lot more people into the stadium that someone like Maleeva probably wouldn't. Tennis is all about money, it's a business so it should be.

 

[LeonHart]

Ashley H was also put on Armstrong and she nor Douchevina was a seed.

 

[Gowza]

yeah but ashley is american so it's understandable.

 

[CamilleVidann]

But Maleeva plays much more entertaining tennis than Shrapova who has no finess playing all power and that infamous grunting.
Leon Hart, Ashley is American. That's a big deal.

 

[ptkten]

Ashley was actually on Grandstand, but still I think it's good that they are putting players such as Sharapova and Harkleroad on show courts. The USTA is trying to promote future stars so that when the Williams sisters, Davenport, and Capriati retire, they have other people to promote. Sharapova and Harkleroad have both shown that they have appeal and pretty good fan support so they are going to put them on a show court when putting Myskina or Maleeva on them really does nothing, especially when they probably are not going to win the title either nor are they going to put people in the seats.

 

[CamilleVidann]

Women's tennis is pre much all about appearances ehy? Having a cute face is enough to make it to a show court.

 

[CamilleVidann]

With the exception of the Williams Sistaz

 

[Messenger]

I'm sure she'll get a seed sooner or later, but until then she shouldn't be playing in this court unless she faces a top seed herself or progresses far in the tournament. The same goes for all the other players around her rank.

It's fair that way.

 

[Gowza]

they shouldn't promote future stars at the big events but then go and tell them they have a limited number of events they can play. the AER is not only about health of a young player but it is also about exposure and there is a double-standard by having the AER and then promoting the youngsters.

 

[Malin]

Women's tennis is pre much all about appearances ehy? Having a cute face is enough to make it to a show court.

Hey sex sells!!!!!! :clap2:

 

[CamilleVidann]

Hey sex sells!!!!!! :clap2:

It's all about making money = selling tickets = selling sex.

 

[auntie janie]

I knew Maria would be placed on a showcourt, but it doesn't look right that she is placed on the 2nd-biggest court for a first-round match at this point in her career. I don't believe it's good for such a young and, let's face it, fairly unproven player to get this type of star treatment before she has earned it. It engenders resentment in the higher-ranked players who are being snubbed, and likely, a growing sense of entitlement in the player.

Liek Gowza, I like Maria so far, and I think she will be a great player. But getting star treatment before it is earned on the court does no one any good in the long run. No need to name examples here, but we have seen where this can lead, and it is not necessarily to the winner's podium.

 

[switz]

come on people, ultimately it is about how many bums they think they can get in seats. sharapova may be young and unseeded, but the fact is that she is probably about ten times better known than myskina and many other top players to the average tennis spectator (and that's being conservative).

you also shouldn't downplay the fact that she is up against last year's winner of the doubles in ruano-pascual (aus open quarter-finalist this year as well). i'm not a big fan of maria or anything, but personally i would much rather watch this match than myskina v nagyova (bc nagyova is an 80% chance of retiring), dementieva is playing someone i have never heard of, sugiyama is playing a clay-courter with little game. only maleeva/asagoue may be a better match, but still not in terms of spectator appeal.

i don't view it as a big deal. promoting the future of women's tennis is a valid point as well IMO. although i think ruano-pascual has a big chance to win.

 

[whiteplains]

What are you guys fussing about...u know sex sells...this is how they use to treat Anna and generated much resentment of her in the locker room...because you give people star treatment when they have done nothing to deserve it...its not Myskina's and any other top players fault that the WTA is not doing a good job of promotion...Most of Maria's in you face PR has been generated by her powerhouse agents at IMG...and this is just another way for them to get the most out of their investment...I'm sure they did alot of jostling to Jim Curley yesterday to get her on a show court...

 

[wtn_amanda]

Americans arnt that good geesh

 

[goldenlox]

It doesn't matter where they put her.
Yesterday Mike Francesa said on his show that he never heard of her. The same thing he said last open about Hantuchova.
Francesa can name almost every player in every major sport. Including hundreds of racehorses.
IMG just pounds tennis junkies over their heads with this hype.
If Francesa doesn't know her name, she's nobody outside tennis circles.
Who cares what court she's on.

 

[ys]

That was pretty much out of their hands.

They could not put her on Arthur Ashe, because she is not such a big player.

On any not-named court she would interfere with other matches acoustically and there could be too many complains. And on Grandstand there could be complains from baseball players. So Armstrong, really, iss the only reasonable option.