TOPIC:

Interesting that Karl Langdon has named Gael Monfils in his "roast" section in today's Sunday Times due to his recidivist tendency to withdraw from the Hopman Cup. Perhaps the roast would have been better aimed at Tennis Asutralia (TA) for continuing to invite Gael Monfils to the tournament. That would not be the only reason to toast TA given their continuing contempt shown to the spectators who support the Hopman Cup. The overpriced tickets which is exacerbated by withdrawals of 'star players" and the propensity for TA to settle for anyone it would appear. Given that France currently has 10 players in the top 100; who did they replace Gael Monfils with? The 12th ranked French player, Kenny de Schepper, is the answer.

What a disgrace. This from an association which promised that the quality would not be diminished if they gained control to the Hopman Cup.

Let's face it, it's a mickey mouse warm up tournament for the Australian Open but the eastern states are jealous as fuck we've got it and not them because it's unique.

I'm just pissed off they wasted a large chunk of our money putting a retractable roof on a stadium for one event a year.

swan42 wrote: Interesting that Karl Langdon has named Gael Monfils in his "roast" section in today's Sunday Times due to his recidivist tendency to withdraw from the Hopman Cup. Perhaps the roast would have been better aimed at Tennis Asutralia (TA) for continuing to invite Gael Monfils to the tournament. That would not be the only reason to toast TA given their continuing contempt shown to the spectators who support the Hopman Cup. The overpriced tickets which is exacerbated by withdrawals of 'star players" and the propensity for TA to settle for anyone it would appear. Given that France currently has 10 players in the top 100; who did they replace Gael Monfils with? The 12th ranked French player, Kenny de Schepper, is the answer.

What a disgrace. This from an association which promised that the quality would not be diminished if they gained control to the Hopman Cup.

I would have thought with your pull in the local tennis scene 42 a free ticket or 2 would have been readily available?

DD wrote: Let's face it, it's a mickey mouse warm up tournament for the Australian Open but the eastern states are jealous as fuck we've got it and not them because it's unique.

I'm just pissed off they wasted a large chunk of our money putting a retractable roof on a stadium for one event a year.

Very well said DD.

DD wrote: I'm just pissed off they wasted a large chunk of our money putting a retractable roof on a stadium for one event a year.

1 event a year DD? There were 91 events at Perth Arena last year.
Are you still bitter at the Arena, new Stadium, Elizabeth Quay, Yagan Square, City Link et al finally getting built and making our city even greater?
If only Sydney were as forward thinking back in the day and instead of wasting money on building a silly iconic bridges, Opera House, Darling Harbour etc they would be so far better off now!!

Retractable roof is only used for one event a year BH. Total waste of money. I believe that's what caused massive cost blowouts. And makes no sense at all having the roof open for an event played in blazing heat and looks shit house on tv and I'm sure causes players problems when half the court is in the shade and other half in the sun.

And don't get me started on Elizabeth Quay. When I wrote to the Premier when he announced it one of the points I raised was algea blooms. John Day replied "we have contingencies in place for that" Lol

I went to the Hopman Cup game on Sunday night. The Arena is a good venue for spectators but there was a disappointing crowd there for an Aussie match. A few years ago you would have struggled to get a ticket for an Aussie game and the event was publicised a lot more through the media than it is now. Can't help feeling that since Paul Macnamee lost the rights it has dropped in its profile. The issue relating to Serena Williams won't have helped its cause this week either.

What a joke of a tournament - the sooner they get rid of it the better.
You get one or two good players who pull out the last minute with a migraine. The rest are average tennis club players at best who people have never heard of before. They couldn't find a parter for superbrat Nick. This year they have two Aussie teams to make up the numbers because they couldn't find another nation. Where's the professionalism in that. The Oz Open in Melb is where the cream will be.

Roman wrote: What a joke of a tournament - the sooner they get rid of it the better.
You get one or two good players who pull out the last minute with a migraine. The rest are average tennis club players at best who people have never heard of before. They couldn't find a parter for superbrat Nick. This year they have two Aussie teams to make up the numbers because they couldn't find another nation. Where's the professionalism in that. The Oz Open in Melb is where the cream will be.

Roman and Mikeh the problem is that Tennis Australia has control over the Hopman Cup and the tournament in Brisbane that are played in the same week. Although they stated unambiguously that they would not let the Hopman Cup lose its prestige it has patently done exactly that. From the ticket pricing to their contempt by having two Australian teams to the replacement for Gael Monfils has shown exactly what they think of the West Australian tennis watching public.

No amount of sugar coating can hide what TA has done to the Hopman Cup. Perhaps the former President of TennisWest and current member of the Liberal Party in the Legislative Assembly, Andrea Mitchell, can explain exactly how TA is going with their stewardship of the Hopman Cup.

Real pity, I went a couple of years back and the venue was great, it was a full house for the final and good atmosphere, seems TA are losing focus on it, the coverage was once huge for it live on Ch 7 and then Ch 2 for years.

Seems to barely rate a mention now.