I heard Federer speak on the radio earlier about ATP reforms. Here's the BBC story.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/6559767.stm

I'm pleased to see it. I'm fed up (as are many of you) with Ettiene's wacky ideas.

Bravo!!

This is a scream for help," said Federer. "These decisions need to be taken more slowly, we want a say.

"We're the ones out there on court in the tennis shorts, they're not."


Brilliantly put from Rogelio

That sounds very much like my boss.

roflmao roflmao

Tenez this is really a good one: Indeed, the boss of any of us roflmao roflmao

In any case here some more details (Roger seems really out of the woods :yikes: ...Never push too much a quite Swiss roflmao ):

Tennis-Federer leads charge against ATP over Monte Carlo row -MONTE CARLO, April 16 (Reuters) -

World number one Roger Federer, backed by several top players, has strongly criticised the ATP's plans to downgrade the Monte Carlo claycourt tournament in 2009

The Swiss, who is top seed this week in the principality, slammed the lack of communication of the men's governing body.
"The ATP is moving really fast at the moment. Many of the players, we've had a letter signed several times about the ATP and the ITF about certain issues," Federer told reporters on Monday.
"I mean, issues like here in Monaco, with the 2009 calendar, and then obviously also things with the ITF, the weeks of Davis Cup. They don't seem to understand what we have a say, so we would just like to address this issue through the media for a change," he added.
"It's just a little scream for help. We're just not happy with the last few months. The players' meeting in Miami was a big disappointment for all of us.
"We had many issues on the table and we couldn't really discuss them at all, and decisions are being taken very soon for 2009, and we would just like to have a little say as well."
Earlier this month, Monte Carlo organisers filed an antitrust lawsuit against the ATP over its plans to downgrade the tournament from a Masters Series event.
The Hamburg claycourt event also filed a lawsuit over plans to downgrade it as the ATP are reshuffling the calendar from 2009 with Madrid moving from its present spot in October to become a spring claycourt Masters Series.
"It's been difficult, we've had a change at the top of ATP, we've been trying to talk to him (chairman Etienne de Villiers). I've had many, many meetings with him," said Federer.
"Of course he has his ideas. I wish he would just listen a little bit more to what we have to say.
"We've had a lot of issues with them (the ITF) as well, letters signed to them, told them what we think are the best Davis Cup weeks.
NO STRIKE
"They seem to respond that they know better than we do. They're not in the tennis shorts playing on the court and knowing how demanding Davis Cup and the ATP circuit is."
French Open champion Rafael Nadal, who was sitting beside Federer during Monday's news conference, ruled out the possibility of a strike.
"We want things to change but in a good way," he said.
Croatian Ivan Ljubicic, a French Open semi-finalist last year, believes the ATP is acting in the interest of the American tournaments at the expense of the European players.
"It's disappointing to see it's going to be downgraded," Ljubicic said of the Monte Carlo tournament.
"Are they afraid of U.S. tournaments? It was never an idea to touch anything over there. European players are the ones paying the price."
The towering Croatian also criticised the American players for their lack of support.
"The Americans never come here. For us it's not easy to go to Key Biscayne and Indian Wells, playing two tournaments in two weeks," he said.

Reuters News

roflmao

Yes, I think it's a boss characteristic everywhere.

Welcome to the wonderful world of working day frustrations, Roger, Rafa et al!!

Seriously, I do wonder how De Villiers is going to reconcile himself with the players, they seem to be moving in opposing directions and he needs to start understanding where his bread is buttered before it is too late.

my boss doesnt even get as far as listening.... :blink:

glad to see the players standing up and trying to make DV take note - hope he bloody does!

The US should create their own circuit with plenty of money and Roddick and Blake as superstars, while the rest of the world should go on with the way it is now. Germany had their own circuit before Becker and many German players were just happy to thrive nationally. Becker is the one that changed that.

As a side point here, I have always mentioned how surprised I was to see Federer play Cincy 06 when clearly he wanted to get out. I stipulated that some financial reasons had forced him to play there and sacrify his winning streak on US hard courts (he did look extremely frustrated in his encounter v Shrishapan). t seems obvious now that most of us had underestimated the power some tounaments have other others, while all top players (Fed and Nadal included) participated to all the North Americans TMSs in 2006, they had no qualm pulling out off the European ones.

Why? I don't really know but the answer to this question is very interesting.

Hope he bloody .....goes! :devil:

:ok: