No Rome service, I won't be back
No Rome service, I won't be back
Leo Schlink
08may04
LLEYTON Hewitt is poised to boycott the Rome Masters after yesterday accusing
tournament officials of poor scheduling.
Beaten 6-4 3-6 4-6 by Romanian Andrei Pavel, Hewitt savaged tournament
director Sergio Palmieri, who also clashed fiercely with Hewitt's coach
Roger Rasheed.
"This was one of the worst (for scheduling) I've ever seen," said former
world No. 1 Hewitt, who is unlikely to return to Rome for the event, one
of the main lead-up tournaments to the French Open.
Hewitt, now ranked 19th, said requests for an earlier start to his first-round
match with Italian wildcard Andreas Zeppi had been rejected by Palmieri,
John McEnroe's former manager.
Rasheed then confronted Palmieri in a heated exchange outside the players'
area, wanting to know why Hewitt's probable second-round opponent Pavel's
opening match was being played at least 24 hours before Hewitt's.
Rasheed was then told by the ATP that Hewitt's match was delayed until
Tuesday night because of German television considerations.
He was later told Palmieri had decided to schedule Hewitt's first-round
match to boost ticket sales.
Poor weather then intervened, meaning Hewitt took two days to beat Zeppi
before facing Pavel, who had completed his match on Monday.
Further upsetting Hewitt was the fact he was allocated court five, which
had been uncovered during overnight rain ?hardly the venue for a player
described by Palmieri as his top tournament drawcard.
Hewitt, who will now use the Hamburg Masters and the World Team Cup in
Dusseldorf to prepare for the French Open on May 24, is seething.
"The ATP had basically told me it was 99 per cent I'd play during the
day (on Tuesday)," Hewitt said.
"But when my coach went to talk about it, the tournament director
basically didn't want to know. He said he'd run this event as he wanted
and he didn't even know my opponent had played Monday."
Hewitt described Palmieri's attitude towards Rasheed as "disgraceful".
"He just walked away from Roger," said Hewitt, whose 2004 record now
stands at 19-5.
Palmieri confirmed a conversation with Rasheed.
"His (Hewitt's) coach told me I didn't know how to do my job," Palmieri said.
"I told him I don't try to tell him how to do his.
"I told him maybe five or six times that the schedule is made daily by a
committee. It cannot be more democratic than that.
"I have no idea what the coach said to Hewitt.
"I remember when the players spoke for themselves ?now they speak through
others."
Rasheed is believed to have politely asked Palmieri several questions
before being brushed off. The exchange followed a fire at the tournament
hotel which claimed three lives.
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