Chennai Open 2006 .. (P$ & Bops into doubles Final!!!)

[puneets]

As you once said Jay - "Its all about the money".
Pat Cash is a former Wimbledon champion..and he's likely to be a "star" attraction in the doubles.

This is what Vijay Amritraj has to say:
"It is a great opportunity for someone like Karan to play alongside a Wimbledon champion. This is once-in-a-life time chance and a priceless experience. Indian sports fans will get to witness a true champion in action".

[gvhvhg]

Jay, I don't think there is even any point in getting angry over it anymore. All it does is turn other forum members against you and us, who think that we favor Harsh for no particular reason. Harsh is just going to go out there and do his thing as he did last year.

GO HARSH!

[jayakris]

This is the same man Pat Cash who in his previous trip to Chennai said that he will never play in Chennai again, badmouthing the tournament to high-heaven and screaming at everybody around because his kit got stolen there!

Come on Vijay - at least just keep quiet! You make it worse when you say these kinds of sugar-coating stuff. Once in a life-time chance to play with a Wimbledon champion? .. It is not like we have not had a wimbledon champion from India (two of them can play any time with Karan if we wanted Karan to get th "once in a life time" doubles experience!)

Jay

[puneets]

I think that "money" thing had the most weightage in this decision. There is no other sane explaination for Pat Cash to be in the doubles draw.

[srivaths]

I don't remember the event but I think Leander first teamed up with Mahesh after turning down an opportunity to play with Pat Cash in that tournament.

[jayakris]

No, LP did that at the Singapore ATP in 1996 ... Pat Cash came to India in 1997 April at Chennai, where LP and MB won their first doubles title.

Jay

[srivaths]

No, LP did that at the Singapore ATP in 1996 ... Pat Cash came to India in 1997 April at Chennai, where LP and MB won their first doubles title.

What I was wondering was if that Singapore ATP was their first event together. Or had they(LP-MB) played together on the tour before ?

[jayakris]

I think that "money" thing had the most weightage in this decision.

What money thing? .. This is the same tournament that let Mahesh go walkabout and now wants Pat Cash to clean up the mess for them? .. They can't sell Mahesh and Karan to the fans but want to try to seel Pat cash with Karan?

God, is there another tounament that does as many shameful things as this one in Chennai?

If they wanted to really help Karan, they should have at least read the ATP rulebook and tried not to waste a wildcard which should have gone to Karan. Utterly incompetent people, not to mention their shameless attitudes.

Jay

[Kumar]

Jay, do you know if HM had requested a doubles wild card? And if he had then I think this move by organizers leaves me baffled ...

Pat Cash, if they wanted someone to provide once in a lifetime experience why didn't they go and get John Mac!!! At least the tournament would have had more glamour in that case!!!

[jayakris]

I don't know about any of that. I am sure he would have signed in for doubles and I am sure everybody knows that he can use a wildcard (and deserves one). Not sure if he would go ass-kissing for a doubles wildcard though. That is probably the real issue. Too many classless people around, and sometimes Harsh has no interest in dealing with them.

Harsh could have played with either of his very good friends, Karan or Rajeev, in doubles.

Jay

[puneets]

What money thing? .. This is the same tournament that let Mahesh go walkabout and now wants Pat Cash to clean up the mess for them? .. They can't sell Mahesh and Karan to the fans but want to try to seel Pat cash with Karan?

Disclaimer: I'm not defending the organizers...this is just pure speculation.

Maybe the organizers felt that Mahesh was asking for 'too much money' (appearance fee). Now they wan't Pat Cash as a "star attraction" (who is anyway in town as a part of the commentary team). Let's see if Pat can bring in audience and as a result..some "cash".

[amr090]

Yeah its pretty preposterous using Pat Cash...first of all I dont think the guy has any drawing power....second it really helps Karan in no way playing with an over the hill has been. 3rd it denies Mankad a doubles wc....i mean yeah the treatment to harsh is horrible here but at this point theresnothing we can do...i just hope harsh can qualify in and destroy some people so then when they come ass kissing to him he can tell them to shove off...

[puneets]

This is the same man Pat Cash who in his previous trip to Chennai said that he will never play in Chennai again, badmouthing the tournament to high-heaven and screaming at everybody around because his kit got stolen there!

Some exceprts from WebIndia article

Code: Select all

Pat Cash will be conducting coaching classes for promising Indian tennis juniors at the 11th edition of the Chennai Open.

Cash will also be a member of the commentator team on ESPN-Star Sports.

He has created a unique training and coaching academy, combining the sport sciences with hard work.

"Cash is a well known and popular player amongst all tennis lovers in India," Ravi Krishnan, managing director, IMG/TWI South Asia and senior vice president, IMG, told the media here.
IMG and TNTA launched the Advantage Tamil Nadu programme in August to promote tennis, encourage youngsters to take part in the sport and develop future champions.

So it seems that they have a bigger agenda at hand..than just a WC.

I do not "wholly" blame the organizers..becuase if the players (so called "professionals") can demad moeny and threaten withdraws, then why shouldn't the organizers be justified if they are thinking about profits.

[jayakris]

Maybe the organizers felt that Mahesh was asking for 'too much money' (appearance fee).

No he wasn't. I disussed that above. The tournament screwed up on that.

PAT CASH ?? .. He last played singles on the tour in 1997. His last wildcard came from (you guessed it) - Chennai. His last tour main draw win was over Mahesh in 1997 at Chennai. He last played doubles in 1999 (going without a main draw win in 6 or 7 tournaments since his last doubles win, which was a monmth after his win over Mahesh)

It is not like so many tournaments around the world has been throwing wildcards at him to bring in sponsors/spectators. Come on, if Tashketnt ATP asked him to play qualies in 1997, you know that he is not the greatest thing since sliced cheese. It is shameful that Chennai Open has to resort to this kind of silly gimmick that no other tournament has had to do on the tour. Absolutely shameful.

That too, they are doing this with a guy who had said 8 years back that he would not return to Chennai (the place that ghave him his last wildcard and probably some cash too, then) that "they can take their tournament and shove it!". That is from my memory - I need to find a way to access the 1997 April issues of The Hindu, but I probably have that article saved somewhere in some old folder in my computers!

Jay

[jayakris]

So it seems that they have a bigger agenda at hand..than just a WC.

I do not "wholly" blame the organizers..becuase if the players (so called "professionals") can demad moeny and threaten withdraws, then why shouldn't the organizers be justified if they are thinking about profits.

Then why don't we see other tournaments, even in places like Tashkent and Ho Chi Minh City doing this kind of gimmicks, puneet? .. Appearance money and withdrawals are all part of almost every event out there. Nothing different at Chennai. Rarely do we see those places having to resort to calling back some washed-up player who hasn't played in 8 years, to come and bring in fannies to the stands.

Neither do we see thoise people just blatantly giving wildcards to former players who are there for TV work or tennis academy coaching. Because most of the people in those places have at least some sense of shame, and somebody or other would object. In India, people are just so spineless sometimes.

Loook, most places have classier people, even if they are all only looking at the money, than we have running this event in Chennai. It is that simple. There is a way to do cut-throat business with some sense of propriety. These guys running the Chennai ATP just do not have any class to do any of that (not to mention competence).

Jay