Respectfully disagree
I think the playing only 3 sets demeans women. & I think they want to play 5 for that reason.
This guy says what I mean way better than I could âŚ
COLUMN: WOMEN NEED FIVE-SETS TENNIS TO WIN EQUALITY BATTLE
by: AP March 25, 2016PARIS (AP) After a bruising start, this ultimately morphed into a points-scoring week for womenâs tennis.
Quick recap: Novak Djokovic put both feet in his mouth by suggesting that male players should be paid more, and by condescendingly praising women athletes for overcoming ââa lot of different things that we donât have to go through. You know, the hormones and different stuff.ââ
Sigh. Hardly the sort of forward-looking, 21st century leadership one wants to hear from the top-ranked man. Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, and a few days of reflection subsequently helped to put him right. Djokovic backpedaled with a qualified apology.
Then, Raymond Moore resigned as the Indian Wells tournament director, falling on his sword for suggesting that women players should fall to their knees in thanks for male counterparts who have ââcarried this sport.ââ
Sexism coming back to bite men who should know better. Count this week as a 6-4, 6-4 victory for women players in their unfinished battle for equality.
And it will remain unfinished just so long as tennis continues to make women play a different game from the men.
Not having women play best-of-five-set matches, like men, at major tournaments is core to tennisâ equality problem, because it hardwires gender inequality into the sport.
At the Olympic Games, the equivalent would be 80-meter sprints for women, while men run 100. Or 40-meter pools. Or, in football, 60-minute matches.
Truncated Grand Slam tennis for women perpetuates offensive myths about weaker and superior sexes. It suggests that women arenât physically and mentally strong enough to play five sets, even though that is patently false. It fuels noxious arguments that women donât deserve the equal prize money at majors they fought long and successfully for, because they play fewer sets than men to win it.
In short, it is plain wrong.
There will always be those who feel that menâs matches offer better value for money because they are more likely to run longer. That ignores the fact that a hard-fought 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 - to cite just the example of Serena Williams against Victoria Azarenka in the French Open third round last year - can be more memorable than a menâs 6-3, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 - the score of Rafael Nadalâs fourth-round win at Roland Garros against Jack Sock.
The quantity-trumps-quality mindset is impossible for women to beat completely when they are not playing the same format as men, and not being allowed to sell the same product. Best-of-five tennis can be more dramatic, because the additional length can encourage more momentum swings, comebacks, collapses, and epic marathons. Women are being deprived of that stage.
Cheaper tickets for best-of-three major finals than for best-of-five also send the message, even before women have played, that theyâre not worth forking out for like the men. At the French Open in June, hospitality packages for the menâs final will cost twice as much as for the womenâs final. Organizers say that is because there is greater public demand to watch the men. Djokovic followed similar logic in arguing that male players should get more money.
ââWe have much more spectators,ââ he said.
But popularity is cyclical. As the golden era of Roger vs. Rafa comes to an end, Djokovic cannot be sure that audiences wonât shift from the menâs game. It wasnât that long ago that Steffi Graf vs. Martina Navratilova was a more intriguing rivalry than Djokovic against Andy Murray is now.
Forget the argument that best-of-five matches for women couldnât be shoehorned into cramped Grand Slam schedules. That assumes that men canât make space. Best-of-three for both men and women in early rounds of the showcase tournaments, followed by best-of-five for both in the later stages might work.
At least it would be equal.
John Leicester is an international sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at jleicester(at)ap.org or follow him at http://twitter.com/johnleicester
VAMOS
In the menâs final the umpire should enforce the time rules. That would upset Nadal.
Also, donât forget women get paid far less in the vast majority of tournaments they play. We should celebrate wherever they are paid equally to men.
This match is pretty ordinary
Also, don't forget women get paid far less in the vast majority of tournaments they play. We should celebrate wherever they are paid equally to men.
Pretty sure they get the same in Grand slams. Though not sure women should play 5 sets, they struggle with 3 sets of garbage.
Hit in net, hit too far, break serve, break serve lose serve, break serve again, lose serve and so on
Did Basil just say Michael Jackson wore #23 for the bulls?
Andy Roddick calling todayâs match âthe most importantâ in grand slam history. Could be.
Also, don't forget women get paid far less in the vast majority of tournaments they play. We should celebrate wherever they are paid equally to men.
Kind of irrelevant. They get paid less because less people go, spectators often get charged less as a result and TV ratings on average are lower.
Itâs not a conspiracy against women. Just economics.
I think tonightâs match is fantastic for the Australian open and for tennis. Hopefully itâs a really close one with no injuries.
Reading Fui fui moi moi twitter account while waiting for this to start. YIKES
Reading Fui fui moi moi twitter account while waiting for this to start. YIKES
WOW
Not quite nasri and his spouse tweeting at the same time.
Reading Fui fui moi moi twitter account while waiting for this to start. YIKES
boy oh boy wowee
Reading Fui fui moi moi twitter account while waiting for this to start. YIKES
Roger in 4
My view pre match was that Roge can still hit the same angles and corners but Nadal is that metre slower. I think its Federers night
You guys canât be serious that rafas grunting isnât annoying
You guys can't be serious that rafas grunting isn't annoying
Iâve become accustomed to it so donât really notice anymore
Rafa has hit back hard here, really looked under the pump in that first set