Artois Championships to Retain Traditional Format

The Artois Championships will retain its traditional knockout format when the event gets underway on the 11th of June at The Queen’s Club in London.

After a detailed examination of the ‘Round Robin’ format as proposed by the ATP, the tournament management team has decided against its introduction in 2007.

The original concept of an eight-day tournament, starting on Sunday 10th June, is no longer deliverable following an agreement between the Grand Slams and the ATP not to schedule matches against the men’s French Open final at Roland Garros.

It was decided that, without the additional day, the ‘Round-Robin’ format could cause scheduling problems.

“Without the extra day, there was a risk that some matches would be ‘dead rubbers’ if weather delays occurred,” said Tournament Director, Ian Wight.

“At an event that typically features a large number of highly-ranked singles players also competing in the doubles competition, and on a surface that takes longer to restore than others after rain, the pressures on scheduling are increased.”