HOPMAN CUP FOUNDER PAUL MCNAMEE IS SHOCKED AT THE PLANNED NEW FORMAT, TWO AUZZIE TEAMS? HARDLY SEEMS LIKE AUSTRALIAN SPORTSMANSHIP, BUT THEY’LL SURE SELL MORE TICKETS

Written by: Staff on 17th September 2015

HOPMAN CUP FOUNDER PAUL MCNAMEE IS SHOCKED AT THE PLANNED NEW FORMAT, TWO AUZZIE TEAMS? HARDLY SEEMS LIKE AUSTRALIAN SPORTSMANSHIP, BUT THEY'LL SURE SELL MORE TICKETS

epaselect epa04016163 Tennis balls spread on a blue court during a practice session of Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia (not pictured) ahead of the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 12 January 2014. The tournament will take place in Melbourne from 13 to 26 January 2014. EPA/NARENDRA SHRESTHA |

Hopman Cup founder Paul McNamee has been stunned by the decision of current management to give Australia two squads to allow the hosts – presumably to milk local box office potential for next January’s edition of the eight-team mixed event.

The shock modification to the numbers of the round-robin format which has served the special event well since its inception in the late 1980s in Perth, Western Australia, has been revealed as an all-out marketing stunt which will go ahead at the January 3-9 pre-Australian Open tournament.

McNamee, ousted a few seasons ago as Hopman boss in a palace coup as Tennis Australia took over the running of the tournament from the International Tennis Federation, called the decision to double up on home hopes with Australian Gold and Green teams “unfathomable”.

He tweeted: “Please someone say it isn’t so. . . undermines credibility.”

Under what officials are now insisting is an “experiment,” the round-robin tournament will give the home side double the chances to claim only a second victory in the competition since Mark Philippoussis and Jelena Dokic won it in 1999.

The Aussie sides will be placed in opposite brackets, meaning they could conceivably meet in a final at the event featuring ties comprising men’s and women’s singles plus mixed doubles.

One Aussie side has already been picked, with retiring Lleyton Hewitt teaming with Perth local Casey Dellacqua for Australia Gold. Andy Murray and Heather Watson will headline for Britain for a second consecutive edition.

Holders Poland (Agnieszka Radwanska and Jerzy Janowicz) chose not to return to defend their 2015 title. Critics are labeling the Aussie redoux scheme a cash grab, since Australian ties are by far the best attended at the Perth venue.

The Tournament director said the plan would be a trial only: “We’ll see how it goes this year. We certainly think it’s a special circumstance this year and I think the fans here in Perth will really warm to it.”

Content Via Bob Larson Tennis News

Topics: Tennis News

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10sBalls_com says:

September 17, 2015 at 1:32 pm

HOPMAN CUP FOUNDER PAUL MCNAMEE IS SHOCKED AT THE PLANNED NEW FORMAT, TWO AUZZIE TEAMS?…- http://t.co/58eDwO60Hy
Barry_Clarke93 says:

September 21, 2015 at 5:20 am

RT @10sBalls_com: HOPMAN CUP FOUNDER PAUL MCNAMEE IS SHOCKED AT THE PLANNED NEW FORMAT, TWO AUZZIE TEAMS?…- http://t.co/58eDwO60Hy