The downside of the ATP tour changes

Beginning in 2007, some men's tournaments will feature Sunday starts and round-robin play -- creating more matches. To make these changes more palatable to the players, there will be a 10 percent increase in prize money and the elimination of best-of-five-set matches.

Not surprisingly, the moves are being championed by the top-ranked players. If the recent tournament in Cincinnati had featured a round-robin format, Andy Murray's life-changing victory over Federer might not have sent the world's No. 1 player home -- and it might not have launched Murray into the next round.

"I think the game has gone too long without adjusting to the competitiveness of television," Agassi said. "It's a competitive market out there. I think there's different ways to package the sport that will lend [themselves] to the person that's sitting there with the remote control in their hand.

"You've got to do something to make people want to stop. I think we're making some good decisions right now. Everything's moving together, which is the most important thing: everybody moving together."

Or are they? Critics say the changes will broaden the gap between the haves and the have-nots in professional tennis. If superior players have two opportunities to beat their lower-ranked colleagues, they will prevail more often. Thus, lesser players will find it harder to advance. ESPN

Hard to disagree with that. I'll be interested to see who picks up this format, and how it goes. I'm not sure how it would be managed in larger tournaments - especially so I could track it without my head exploding.

I like it when someone takes Federer out - not only do I respect their efforts and skill (and sure, a bit of luck) to take such a great player out, but I know it opens up the field a LOT. That is what gets me glued to the TV. I think time and time again, it has been shown that if you give Feds another chance he isn't going to go away. ;)