Rain has caused many delays at the ASB Classic. Photo / Getty
Rain has caused many delays at the ASB Classic. Photo / Getty
ASB Classic tournament director Nicolas Lamperin remains confident the latter stages of the women’s event can be staged as normal, but admits the immediate outlook is bleak.
Incessant rain meant all matches were confined to two indoor courts on Wednesday, with no capacity for spectators and both outdoor session cancelled.
That seems to be the most likely scenario for Thursday, with a further blanket of rain forecast for Auckland.
The worst-case outcome would see eight second round matches – featuring big names such as Coco Gauff, Venus Williams, Emma Raducanu and Leylah Fernandez – staged indoors on Thursday and two more sessions called off.
Lamperin is still hoping for the best – with a full outdoor schedule – though wasn’t shying away from the dire outlook.
“It is very unstable,” said Lamperin. “There is a lot of rain that we can expect but we have this contingency plan to make sure the tournament can go ahead.
“It is very frustrating and we would love to be able to have the fans watch the matches but we also need to be able to look after the tournament and make sure the matches can go ahead.”
Wet weather postponed play on centre court at the ASB Classic. Photo / Getty
Lamperin wasn’t yet considering having players complete two matches in a day later in the week, as has happened in the past, preferring to keep the schedule on track.
“We are trying to take each day at a time,” said Lamperin. “[On Wednesday] the objective was to get the first-round matches completed.”
Moving games to the indoor arena at Scarbro Tennis centre in East Auckland – which has much more room for spectators - wasn’t possible, for logistical reasons and also because of the different court surfaces.
“The courts are not in the best conditions,” said Lamperin.
It’s not the first time the ASB Classic has been affected by the weather but disruptions early in the week are always more challenging, with the volume of matches to get through.
There are also revenue implications, with the loss of food and beverage sales and the obligation to refund tickets. It’s the last thing needed after two years without a tournament.
“We are not at that stage yet,” said Lamperin, when asked if it would be a major financial hit. “We have some insurance policies in place. So we are in regular contact with them to make sure we are taking the right decisions.”
Lamperin said the players remain rational, after three rain-affected days. On Wednesday some were ferried to Albany to train on the indoor courts there, while others killed time in the player lounge or at their hotel.
“[They] are used to rain,” said Lamperin. “These conditions happen all over the world. It is just part of their life. They have handled the situation very well.”
Wednesday was a frustrating day at Stanley Street. Fans arrived for the scheduled day session and it was looking promising for a while, until more rain just before the 2pm start. Plenty stuck around, as Tina Turner’s “I can’t stand the rain” blared out over the stadium speakers.
There wasn’t much to do, though the indoor matches (which had started at 1pm) were broadcast on the big screen from 3:30pm. The day session was eventually cancelled just after 5pm and the night session after 8pm.
Lamperin sympathised with the hardy fans.
“It’s always a tricky one,” said Lamperin. “We understand fans are always asking for more information. We provide updates as information becomes available but we cannot make an early decision; it wouldn’t make any sense to cancel a day at 1pm for example. If there is a window to play we need to keep that option open.”
It’s also been a tough introduction for Lamperin, in his first tournament in charge, following Karl Budge’s long tenure.
“I don’t think about being lucky or unlucky,” said Lamperin. “We have a situation; we just need to deal with it. It’s not the first time it’s raining at a tennis tournament – it happens all over the world - so let’s get on with it and try to deliver the event as best as we can.”
If the action is indoor on Thursday, matches will likely start from 2pm. If the weather unexpectedly clears, the outdoor day session is scheduled from midday.
