Tennis fans feel cheated over weather-hit match

Margaret and Gordon Penny. Photo / Natalie Slade

An Auckland couple say they feel cheated after buying tickets and waiting seven hours to watch a tennis match they never got to see in person.

Gordon and Margaret Penny, of the North Shore, were among crowds of people who missed out on watching the ASB Classic women's singles final yesterday.

The match - between Italy's Flavia Pennetta and eventual winner Zheng Jie, of China - was to be played on Saturday but was postponed until yesterday because of rain.

Then rain pushed the match indoors but spectators had to be turned away for safety reasons.

Mr Penny said despite a 50 per cent refund of his $120 tickets, the couple would have preferred a full refund.

"We hung about for six hours [on Saturday] to see the singles finals but they decided to postpone that.

"They put the doubles on inside and we got seats, but we couldn't see a thing. If you stood for the whole thing you could have seen it.

"We couldn't even see where the ball bounced. Let's just say we could only see their heads."

Mr and Mrs Penny returned yesterday morning and waited an hour for the singles final. "But then at 12 o'clock they said that the match had to be indoors now and that no public will be admitted," Mr Penny said.

"We came back home and watched it. I feel we've been cheated, really."

Yesterday the ASB Classic website told ticket-holders they would have to watch the match on television.

"We apologise that the viewing capability in the indoor courts is extremely limited and for safety reasons we cannot offer any public access."

Tournament director Richard Palmer apologised to fans and said he understood their frustration.