Memorial Drive needs development, fast, says SA tennis legend Mark Woodforde
TENNIS legend Mark Woodforde has played at Memorial Drive since he was a boy. But despite his affection for the venue, he says more has to be done — quickly — for the Adelaide institution to be part of the international calendar and remain relevant.
- Cash and Leconte return to Adelaide
- Heartbreaking insight into tragic fall
- Kokkinakis link with Agassi’s man
- Multipurpose stadium back on the agenda
- Adelaide still hopeful of international event
SOUTH Australian tennis great Mark Woodforde has warned Adelaide must speed up its progress in further developing Memorial Drive or risk missing out on opportunities in a revamped tennis calendar next summer.
The Australian summer of tennis will have a vastly different look in 2020 with the first two weeks of the year pencilled in for the new World Tennis Cup, a lucrative ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) team event with ranking points for players from 24 countries.
It will threaten the survival of Perth’s Hopman Cup and challenge the lead-up events in Brisbane and Sydney, who will this summer remain both ATP and WTA (women’s events).
In the summer of 2020, when the World Tennis Cup arrives, the top players will severely dilute the quality of players available for other lead-up events, even though the ones who don’t make it to the second week — finals — are likely to look for another tournament.
If, as expected, Sydney hosts the finals of the new event, there could be an opening for a lead-up event elsewhere if TA scraps the Sydney ATP (men’s) event.
That means another Australian city could bid for an event, but Adelaide’s facilities are not up to ATP or Davis Cup standards — in particular, there is not space between the baseline and the back of the courts.
The reason for the rush is this: once a new Australian schedule has been established, it will be more difficult for new events to find a place in the schedule.
Woodforde, one of the founding fathers of exhibition event World Tennis Challenge, was confident that event would survive if it wasn’t replaced by a sanctioned event — meaning Adelaide would continue to have international tennis content.
“We need to be involved,” Woodforde said. “Our event now … whether it can survive in the backwash of players when they’ve finished the World Team Cup — do they want to play another exhibition before the Australian Open?
“I know we’re Monday and Tuesday (this summer) of that second week, which may not be appropriate in 2020.
“We might have to see a date change, or whether we hold one of the (World Tennis Cup) round robin groups (in week one).
“We have to have content, and that’s why the redevelopment is key.
“To have the WTC continue or whatever evolves from 2020 — Tennis SA has to be involved in that and have content.
“To just rely on what we have now (in terms of facilities) is not going to cut it.
“Stage one is fantastic but stage two, focusing on the centre court area … to have an international event that’s the next stage.
“Whether it’s a Davis Cup qualifying … it needs stage two to be green lit but it probably can’t be done in a 12-month time frame so it probably has to be stunted so that it doesn’t disrupt having an event.
“Personally I see a small window. If the finals of the World Team Cup are played in Sydney it means they have no ATP event.”
But if Adelaide is to host an official event again after losing its ATP event to Brisbane in 2009 Memorial Drive has to come up with a solution for the centre court.
Among proposals are to replace the northern stand and add a roof similar to the lightweight canopy at Brisbane’s Pat Rafter Arena.
The Advertiser understands there is one proposal for developments to make a centre court compliant for less than $40 million, rather than immediately shooting for a $150-$200 million multipurpose arena straight away.
But time is running our for Adelaide to have a place on the professional calendar next summer.
Woodforde, who is a board member of the International Tennis Federation, suggested an upgrade — whether that is a full-blown multipurpose stadium or a gradual build — was unlikely to be done in 12 months.
But Memorial Drive could appease Tennis Australia and the ATP if it had a gradual plan to have it completed in stages but still have it available for an annual event during the project.
The $10 million stage one, funded by the Federal Government, means Memorial Drive has ticked off more boxes to again meet professional tennis event standards, but the centre court needs immediate work.
“As is, we can’t play it on these (centre) courts,” Woodforde said. “There’s a problem with the length.
“In order to pick up any new event, there has to be some changes. Otherwise we’ll just miss out again.”