Tennis: Australian Open too early in year, say stars

The first Grand Slam of the season could be shifted from its January slot to March to appease players' complaints about searing heat and lack of warm-up events.

But any shift would have manifold repercussions on the tennis - and Australian sporting - calendar, Tennis Australia president Geoff Pollard warned yesterday.

"This has been on the agenda for a while, but there is no clear and obvious solution," Pollard said in Melbourne.

"It is logical that we are too early in the year and that the end of the season is too late. But if we want to fix something it has got to be everything.

"We wouldn't move unless we were sure that the players would support an Australian circuit in February," he said.

Tennis Australia could be almost certain of players' support as Pollard was responding to complaints from the sport's elite that the first Grand Slam of the year starts too soon after their brief close season in December.

Leading players are lobbying for a switch, complaining they are ill-prepared for one of the most important tournaments of the year.

Andre Agassi, the world No 2 and one of the best-known faces in world sport, threw his weight behind a shift yesterday.

"From an ideal standpoint, everybody would be better served if it was pushed back in the year," he said. "It would give us [players] more chance to relax in what you could call the off-season."

Former women's world No 1 Martina Navratilova believes playing the Australian Open in such high temperatures is dangerous.

"It could take someone dying before things will change, but I firmly believe the Australian Open should be put back a month until at least February."

International Tennis Federation president Francesco Ricci-Bitti fanned the flames of change yesterday when he said his organisation was talking to the ATP, which organises the men's tour, about moving a couple of US tournaments to make way for a later Australian Open.

Tournaments in the US in February and early March which could be candidates for a switch include those in Memphis, Delray Beach and Scottsdale.

Two US Masters Series tournaments also feature in the March schedule - Indian Wells from March 10-16 and Miami from March 17-30.

Any adjustment to the schedule would, therefore, cause huge upheaval.

But while a new-look Australian autumn of tennis would help players prepare for Melbourne Park, it would wreak havoc with the city's sporting calendar.

A March date would leave the Open in danger of clashing with the Formula One motor racing grand prix and the lead-up to the Australian Football League season.

It could also have a significant effect on ticket sales, with school returning.

* Any change would have implications for New Zealand's men's and women's tournaments.

ATP executive vice-president and former top Australian player Brad Drewett said: "You can find any number of logistical reasons not to do it [put it back].

"But, having said that, we are always looking for ways to extend the break the players have between the end of one season and the start of the next.

"The intensity today is far greater than it was in the past. Take the Heineken Open as an example.

"Here we see the third seed [Fernando Gonzalez] go out in the second round. In the past he would have been expected to cruise into the semifinals."

Heineken Open tournament director and ATP board member Graham Pearce said: "Any change would involve a major relocation.

"Issues such as volunteers, television and a host of things would all need to be considered."

Next year's local tournaments will start a week later than this summer, with the ASB Classic scheduled for January 5 and the Heineken Open a week later.

- AGENCIES, STAFF REPORTER