The row between Lleyton Hewitt and the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) blew up again this week with the news that the Wimbledon champion intends to initiate litigation against the ATP.
Last year the world number one was fined for refusing to give an interview in Cincinnati with ESPN, the North American broadcaster of the Tennis Masters, just before his first-round match against the United States’s Robby Ginepri, which Hewitt won 6-0 6-0 — in a rage.
Originally Hewitt was fined half his prize money, $105 650, but this was later reduced on appeal to $20 000. However, Hewitt, who justifiably believes he was shabbily treated, has since lent his name to the ATP’s newly formed rival, the International Men’s Tennis Association. His intention was clearly to pursue a point of
principle.
With the Mediterranean no more than a short hit of a tennis ball away from the centre court, and with the early spring sunshine reflecting from the towering limestone cliffs behind, there is no better place than the Monte Carlo tennis club to launch the clay-court season.
Yet, despite the sun and unparalleled vistas it was clear that all was not well in the principality.
Of the current top 10 only five are entered this year. The two biggest draws, Hewitt and Andre Agassi, respectively ranked number one and two in the world, both offered their excuses.
Agassi has not played here since 1998 and was only a spasmodic visitor before that. His absence, however regrettable, is not a surprise.
But, Hewitt’s decision not to return was clearly a snub, particularly as he is due to play in Barcelona next week — although the rebuff was clearly more against the ATP than the tournament itself.
Monte Carlo is one of nine tournaments in the Tennis Masters Series that are packaged as the best events outside the four grand-slam events.
All the tournaments are supposedly mandatory but the leading players pay lip service to this constraint, preferring to set their own agendas and timetables in a bid to secure the best
possible chance of winning a grand slam title.
Not that the absence of Hewitt and Agassi, together with Switzerland’s Roger Federer and Marat Safin of Russia, will concern the swelling horde of Spanish and South American players who will begin revving their engines for a mass charge towards Roland Garros at the end of May.
Last year’s French Open victory by Albert Costa, the journeyman deluxe of the clay-court circuit, gave fresh heart to all those who slide and slither across the terre battue.
There have been two all-Spanish French Open finals in the past five years, yet they have produced nobody with the same charisma as Brazil’s Gustavo Kuerten — three time champion at Roland Garros in 1997, 2000 and 2001.
Juan Carlos Ferrero and Carlos Moya, the Monte Carlo tournament’s top two seeds, are fine players but few outside Spain are greatly bothered whether they win or lose any tournament.
This may be unfair but a tennis world dominated by Spaniards and Argentinians is a world of stifling sameness.
In this respect it was disappointing to see Andy Roddick of the United States, the number three seed, hustled to a 7-6 6-3 defeat by Spain’s Albert Portas in the first round this week.
Tennis is desperately in need of Roddick, or any other young American, to show signs of eventually filling the void that will be left when both Agassi, 33 this month, and Pete Sampras, 32 in August and already semi-retired, step aside.
‘I didn’t play too smart,†said Roddick, who after fighting his way back from 6-3 down in the first set tie-break blew his chances by attempting a ridiculously judged drop-shot from well behind the baseline. —