The Masters in Shanghai is to be modified and will have a larger field of players starting in 2019 – regardless of other tournaments.
The Shanghai Rolex Masters could not have ended better with the dream finale Roger Federer against Rafael Nadal and the next great news from China will follow soon.The 1000er-Tournament is to run as “Super Masters” from October 2019.This would be the same level as the tournaments in Rome and Madrid.In Italy and Spain, too, they want to become a major masters event.
This would make Shanghai the only major tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami to offer a field of 96 players without increasing the number of points to be won.
Tournament director Michael Luevanu said in an interview with The Yellow Ball Corner:”We have been a Masters tournament for nine years.We’re gonna do this.”
According to Luevanu, the planning is already well advanced and a detailed plan should be in place.A few details also slipped on the tournament director’s lips:”We’re going to make some major renovations.The changing rooms are to be redesigned and perhaps a second roof is to be created.We want everything to be new for the players,”Luevano continued.
The expansion of the tournament would mean above all that the number of players will be increased from 64 to 96 players.Luevanu also admitted that the prize money is expected to almost double from $5.5 million to $10.5 million.
A larger number of players would lure more players into the Chinese metropolis and could help to make up for the lack of spectators.During the last tournament week in Shanghai, many places remained free.
With the increased number of participants, the tournament duration would be extended to eleven days instead of the usual seven, which would put the subsequent tournaments in the diary into the predicament.Other tournaments could be affected if they don’t follow for a week,”he added.But we would end the tournament on Tuesday or Wednesday; it would be a week of travel,”added the tournament director.