Should Australia bid to host its round-of-16 group in next year\u2019s Davis Cup finals?<\/h3>\n
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Wayne Arthurs, third from right, flanked by Lleyton Hewitt and Mark Philippoussis, with the 2003 Davis Cup trophy.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty Images<\/cite><\/p>\n This would be played after the US Open in September, ahead of the Asian hardcourt swing \u2013 and would clash with the finals series for the AFL and NRL.<\/p>\n But Groth isn\u2019t concerned about competition with other sports and Stosur is confident those who support tennis are different to the crowd that supports the football codes. \u201cTennis is huge here, and I think if you\u2019ve got an event people want to see, depending on where it is in Australia, I think it could be great,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Groth\u2019s best Davis Cup memories are of home ties. \u201cI would love to see the Davis Cup come back to Australia,\u201d he says. \u201cThose away ties can be hostile, and you remember them, but my greatest memories were playing at home, in front of home fans. I\u2019d love to see the Davis Cup hosted here again in Melbourne, and for the public to get behind it and support it.\u201d<\/p>\n Australia\u2019s Sam Groth, right, celebrates a Davis Cup doubles win with John Peers in Sydney.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>AP<\/cite><\/p>\n But Arthurs is not convinced. \u201cIs the crowd going to be there? I\u2019m going to say probably not,\u201d he says. \u201cAt that time, it\u2019s going to be pretty risky going against such big sports in Australia. If you come here and don\u2019t get the crowd, how\u2019s that going to look? I would love to see it here, and I\u2019d love to see the passion in the crowd, but I really worry about that time of year. I\u2019d hate to see the stands half-full and not passionate.\u201d<\/p>\n McNamee says there\u2019s no reason Melbourne or Sydney would have to host if Australia were to bid. But he doesn\u2019t feel strongly about hosting. \u201cI\u2019m not as passionate about Davis Cup as I was because of the new format but, of course, it\u2019s still got the brand, and we\u2019ve done great to be in the final the last two years, so why not, if that\u2019s what Tennis Australia wants to do? You\u2019d have to ask Lleyton [Hewitt] because he\u2019s still not a fan of the format.\u201d <\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n The concept of the top-class tour that has been floated would include only the best players, who would compete in as few as 14 tournaments \u2013 including the four slams.<\/p>\n McNamee firmly believes it won\u2019t happen and wasn\u2019t shy in airing his views. \u201cNot only do I not think it will happen, I am not a believer in it either. Philosophically, I\u2019m dead against it,\u201d he says. \u201cThank goodness the slams are 128-player main draws. People always want to blame the slams, but the slams are keeping the lower guys alive [in the sport].\u201d<\/p>\n Paul McNamee competes at Wimbledon in 1986.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty Images<\/cite><\/p>\n Arthurs describes the proposed tour as elitist and says it would limit the attraction for junior players. \u201cIt\u2019s a very difficult sport, it\u2019s very hard to break into it, and as soon as you make it even more elitist, it\u2019s just going to detract from people who want to play the game. It\u2019s a worldwide sport, and if you pigeonhole players into small groups who have to be so good to get to that level, what\u2019s the attraction for kids coming up to want to try and play the game?\u201d<\/p>\n But Groth says anything that drives the sport to be better is a good thing. \u201cI think tennis, in recent times, has done a good job of trying to increase the number of players who can make a living out of the sport. As someone who was in and out of that [top] level, it\u2019s a challenge when you\u2019re in the lower levels, but, at the same time, anything that brings more money to the sport, you hope at some stage that starts to filter down.\u201d<\/p>\n Stosur did not want to speak on this topic, but Arthurs and McNamee are again in agreement \u2013 Saudi investment in tennis is inevitable.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s coming, and there\u2019s nothing we can do to stop it,\u201d Arthurs says. \u201cThey\u2019re coming into every sport, and they are going to influence tennis at some capacity. I know they\u2019re looking at possibly getting a Masters event, maybe at the beginning of the year, which will affect the [Australian Open] lead-in tournaments, but you could place them in February. It\u2019s not ideal, obviously, but if you\u2019re trying to expand the sport, the Saudis have a pretty big grip on it \u2013 it\u2019s hard to ignore money.\u201d<\/p>\n McNamee says: \u201cIt\u2019s in football [soccer], it\u2019s in golf. Of course, it is going to end up in tennis \u2013 it\u2019s inevitable. There\u2019s Qatari money, and there\u2019s Abu Dhabi [United Arab Emirates] money as well. That\u2019s where the money in tennis is coming from now, so it\u2019s a fact of life, but I don\u2019t think it will play out as is being speculated.\u201d<\/p>\n Groth says players should be able to decide, though: \u201cI\u2019d like to think sport can be above politics\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the end, most of these athletes are doing this for a career \u2013 they\u2019re not doing it to buy into the political situation in any country or another. Whether you can separate the two, that\u2019s for the players to decide when it\u2019s offered to them or not.\u201d <\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n The answer is unanimous \u2013 more opportunities to play.<\/p>\n But our experts\u2019 reasons are different. Stosur wants opportunities for women to match those available for those on the men\u2019s tour.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are four or five men\u2019s Challenger [secondary tour] events every week, whereas women have only one,\u201d she says. \u201cThere are parts about the tour I don\u2019t like, including the structure of some of these two-week events and how you\u2019re not allowed to have an event up against your Madrids or Beijings. It\u2019s the only event on that week, so unless you are ranked 45 or 50 in the world, you can\u2019t actually play. If you have to play qualifying, and there\u2019s only one event, that\u2019s pretty rough.\u201d<\/p>\n Sam Stosur waves to the crowd after her final Australian Open singles match last year.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty Images<\/cite><\/p>\n For Arthurs, it\u2019s about helping Australians gain ground on those from other countries. \u201cMore Challengers within Australia. Italy has 35 Futures, pretty much one a week, all year, and something like 20-plus Challengers \u2013 it\u2019s a massive advantage. The US have done the same thing, and they have a slam. We nearly need to give our guys a leg-up, get the guys to 300 [in the rankings], then they go, \u2018OK, I\u2019m going to have a real crack at this\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n McNamee says there are not enough opportunities at the moment for players ranked outside the top 100. \u201cIn golf, for example, you have 55 tournaments in Asia, and in tennis you have five. Other sports have 500, 600 or 700 guys making a living. It\u2019s completely wrong [in tennis].\u201d <\/p>\n Novak Djokovic is a 10-time Australian Open men\u2019s singles champion.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Scott McNaughton<\/cite><\/p>\n In the men\u2019s draw it\u2019s hard for any of our experts to go past Novak Djokovic. But there are some contenders coming up that could provide a challenge \u2013 specifically Italian star Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s pretty hard to go past Novak, especially in Melbourne,\u201d Stosur says. \u201cIt might be a Novak-Alcaraz final, but is this Sinner\u2019s chance to break through and win a slam? Let\u2019s go out there and say Sinner is going to get this one.\u201d<\/p>\n McNamee predicts a battle between two.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re not going bold if you say Djokovic or [Carlos] Alcaraz, but it\u2019s going to be one of those two. It\u2019s highly likely it will be Novak, but Alcaraz is a threat,\u201d McNamee says.<\/p>\n Arthurs predicts a Djokovic-Sinner final, while Groth says Djokovic will be hard to beat over five sets. \u201cJannik Sinner is dangerous, obviously beating Novak twice over a week or so [in November], which is an incredible feat, but it\u2019s a different job to do it over five sets,\u201d says Groth.<\/p>\n The women\u2019s draw is a more open question.<\/p>\n \u201c[Iga] Swiatek cruised through the WTA Finals, and she\u2019s probably the favourite. She\u2019s been the most consistent over the last few years,\u201d says Groth.<\/p>\n But McNamee would be surprised if Swiatek wins. \u201cAryna Sabalenka is a very good chance,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Stosur agrees. \u201cI think \u2018Sabs\u2019 can maybe do it again. Swiatek has never really shown that this [the Australian Open] is it for her, but by no means does that mean it can\u2019t be, or won\u2019t change. But, I was really impressed with Sabalenka\u2019s year, from start to finish.\u201d<\/p>\n Arthurs goes outside the box in his women\u2019s singles prediction: \u201cI\u2019m going to go [Jessica] Pegula. She\u2019s been around the mark.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
What do you think about the concept of a \u2018premium tour\u2019?<\/h3>\n
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How do you feel about Saudi money coming into tennis?<\/h3>\n
What is one thing you would change about the professional tour?<\/h3>\n
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Who do you think will win the Australian Open?<\/h3>\n
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