Women's matches less appealing at French Open, says Mauresmo / Photo: Thomas SAMSON - AFP
Women's matches less appealing at French Open, says Mauresmo
Former world number one and two-time Grand Slam title winner Amelie Mauresmo said Wednesday that women's matches had less appeal at the French Open when it came to controversial night session scheduling.
Of the 10 night matches at this year's Roland Garros, only one has featured a women's tie when home player Alize Cornet faced Jelena Ostapenko in the second round.
"In this era that we are in right now, and as a woman, a former woman's player, I don't feel bad or unfair saying you have more attraction, more attractivity -- can you say that? Appeal? -- for the men's matches," said Mauresmo, the tournament director at Roland Garros.
"My goal when I was doing the schedule every day was to try and see a match in the women's draw can I put there.
"Honestly, it was tough. It was tough for more than one night to find the match of the day."
Mauresmo, in her first year as French Open tournament director, was responding to questions over the suitability of Roland Garros night sessions which were introduced last year as part of a new broadcast deal.
Rafael Nadal's epic quarter-final victory over Novak Djokovic, one of the nine late matches selected, finished at 1:15am on Wednesday under the lights of Court Philippe Chatrier.
Meanwhile 18 out of 20 singles matches scheduled first on Court Philippe Chatrier and Court Suzanne Lenglen have been women's ties.
First up on Wednesday at noon was the quarter-final between Daria Kasatkina and fellow Russian Veronika Kudermetova, played out in front of rows and rows of empty seats.
"Well it's Wednesday, 12 o'clock. I'm not expecting everyone to come and the stadium to be full the first match of the day. So, I mean that's fine," said Kasatkina after her straight sets win.
N.Walker--MC-UK
