Why do all the tennis tournaments have to have the same structure?

Question

Why do all the tennis tournaments have to have the same structure? - each loser is eliminated ... round of 32 .. round of 16 ... QFs ... SFs... F & the top seeds are kept apart - I can think of quite a few sensible alternatives that could give the game some new life.

Answer 1

That's the rules of the game!!! All games have their rules whether you like them or not!!! Sorry!!

Answer 2

Not all tournaments do this (e.g. Masters Cup) but most do.

I think the current format works best when there is real strength in depth in the draw - this guarantees some great matches in the early rounds, whilst the best players are more likely to be there at the end.

The problems occur when there's too big a gap between the top and everyone else e.g. the days of Steffi Graf/Monica Seles and its still true to an extent today. If you have a system in mind that addresses that issue then all power to you!

Answer 3

Because it is a game for 2, or 2 v 2 , to get a qualifier for each side of each game in each round, you need twice as many games in the previous round. Therefore tournaments in any game or sport have to increase in powers of 2 (2,4,8,16,32,64 etc.)according to their size, and if you want to accomodate a different number of entrants, you have to either award byes, where some entrants draw an automatic win against a blank, or run a prequalifying competition for the lowest rated entrants. Seeding stops top players randomly meeting and eliminating each other in low rounds while minor players reach the late rounds by beating even lesser ones. The English (soccer) FA Cup is unseeded, and much of its popularity is due to the tendency of at least one minor team to do well each year, but tennis depends on rankings, and it would be harmful to the careers of the best players to compete in unseeded tournaments.

Answer 4

Because the system is so deeply embedded now that change is impossible - the boards are full of conservative twats who are unwilling to allow other formats to be tried out.

If they were willing to, we could see new teams games and tournaments where the top four, seeds 5-20 and the rest play in three separate events, unified only in the final four (consisting of the three segemtn winners and the winner of a six man quick-tournament of all the 2nd and 3rd placed players).

Answer 5

The only chance, I think, would be for TV to get stuck into it and jazz up the format like they have with a lot of other sports such as 20-20 cricket, darts and also most notably the Champions league.

Tennis, however, seems a little orthodoxed in its approach and I doubt whether they would allow such outside influence.

Good question tho'....

Answer 6

I think changes are likely to come next year but they will not lead to a change of structure. The present set up though seems cool as it provides an exciting finale .

Answer 7

You mean like having a back draw. The problem is everybody wants to leave after they lose.

Answer 8

its just how the game goes