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In India the tournament airs on ESPN Star Sports. There is also
another complaint from players about burnout. This is because they
continously play tournaments throughout the year without adequate
breaks. The risk of picking up career shortening injuries increases.
However this would mean that the Association of tennis Players
(ATP) and Women's Tennis Association (WTA) would have to reschedule
their tournaments if the Australian Open is to be played in March
when the weather is more conducive. An AP report indicates that
discussions are going on between the ATP, WTA and Tennis Australia.
Meanwhile former player Martina Navratilova has argued that the
organisers should take the initiative and not wait for serious injuries
to mount before being forced into action. Grand Slam winner Marat
Safin who has been out of action for quite a while has come out
in support of the proposed move.
If an overhaul of the scheduling takes place The Australian Open
is not the only Grand Slam that could be affected. One of the reasons
why Bjorn Borg was the last player to win the French Open and Wimbledon
in the same year is the fact that there is barely a two week gap
between the two of them. There is not enough time for clay courters
to switch to grass. Therefore there exists the chance that Wimbeldon
too could be pushed back.
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