Round-Robin Format Part of ATP’s Drive for Fans

In the first steps of a bid to increase tennis’ appeal, the ATP is making changes to some tournaments on the 2007 men’s tour, including using a round-robin format, starting events on Sundays rather than Mondays and reducing the number of best-of-five-set finals.

The initiatives announced Sunday also include the first widespread prize money increase since 2000, a 10% hike at events currently at the minimum purse level.

“We see the light,” said third-ranked Ivan Ljubicic, chosen Sunday as president of the ATP Player Council. “It’s been a while since things like this happened.”

ATP chairman Etienne de Villiers sees the moves as part of a broader project to overhaul a sport whose popularity has dipped; the tour also is increasing its marketing funds from $800,000 in 2006 to $5 million next year.

“As a major, global sport ... we don’t punch our weight. There’s no question about it,” De Villiers said in an interview. “But is it doom and gloom? No, because I think the momentum has definitely turned.”

He pins his optimism in part on stars such as Roger Federer, who enters the U.S. Open more than halfway to Pete Sampras’ record for Grand Slam titles. And to Federer’s rivalry with Rafael Nadal.

But De Villiers wants to see more changes, including figuring out ways to discourage top players’ withdrawals from tournaments. One way to do that is change the calendar, something that could take time. Another is to threaten fines or rankings point reductions. Another is to reduce wear-and-tear by eliminating best-of-five-set finals at non-majors that use best-of-three matches earlier in the draw.

The most radical switch involves the round-robin setup, under which players will be grouped to face off against one another, with the top player in each pool advancing to knockout rounds. That will be tried next season, with plans to use it more extensively in 2008 and 2009.

It already is used at the season-ending Tennis Masters Cup, but it won’t be done at all events.

“It doesn’t make a lot of sense if you don’t have a strong field,” De Villiers said. “You don’t want to see lesser players play each other over and over again.”