TENNIS MASTERS CUP

November 14, 2005

Stephen Huss

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please, in Chinese or English.

WESLEY MOODIE: We're both pretty relaxed out on the court. I mean, especially the first two tournaments. I mean, one was a challenger, then we went on to win our first Grand Slam. I guess we were just enjoying it. There wasn't much pressure on us. I mean, obviously, I mean, Wimbledon was a great tournament for us. We played pressure-free, and we came up with some pretty good tennis. I mean, we had one or two mixed results since then, but definitely the last two or three tournaments I think we started to get back into things.

STEPHEN HUSS: Well, your question is complicated, and I could spend a long time addressing it.

STEPHEN HUSS: I think that, you know, the game of tennis has become so professional with the way especially the top guys like Roger and Andre and Andy Roddick and those guys are. I don't think that, you know, they're gonna play much doubles. It's just become, you know, too tiring or it doesn't fit into their schedules. They're going to focus on their singles, and that's what they're going to do. I think that singles and doubles are different games. If they weren't, I wouldn't be here. To be honest with you, I don't belong at this level in singles; I'm not good enough to play it. But in doubles, it comes more into my strengths, so that gives me an opportunity to compete against these guys, the best players in the world. I think that our governing body, the ATP, just needs to do, you know, an even better job of promoting both singles and doubles. I think that once people realize and come out and watch matches, I mean, yesterday's two doubles matches, I saw parts of both of them, I thought they were incredible. I mean, I think it's just a real stage to play doubles, and it's a real stage to play singles. It just needs to be equally promoted and equally really put up in the spotlight, and I think that the people will come.

WESLEY MOODIE: I don't think that's going to solve the problem. I mean, if singles players have lost, they want to get to the following tournament the following week. I mean, maybe -- I mean, I'm not saying it definitely won't work, but from my experience, I think there are not going to be too many more guys playing doubles because doubles starts on Thursday.

STEPHEN HUSS: I agree.

WESLEY MOODIE: A lot of guys play doubles to either prepare for their singles, or a lot of guys, if they lose in singles and won the first-round doubles, they pull out injured, and move on to the next tournament. Personally, I don't think that's the solution.

WESLEY MOODIE: Well, apparently from next year that's what's going to happen. So it's already in place.

WESLEY MOODIE: Well, it's actually I believe two sets to six, no ad scoring, with a match tiebreaker. So I presume that's the first to 10 for a third set.

STEPHEN HUSS: I must say, I mean, I think the majority of players are quite adamant that that is not a solution. I don't think it's going to make any difference. You can ask the top singles guys if they're going play one set, one tiebreak, best-of-five sets, it won't matter; they're going to play doubles when they want to play doubles, and that's the only time. We feel that that's not the right answer.

WESLEY MOODIE: I think the first thing that needs to be done is to start to try marketing these players. I guess maybe in the recent, what, last month or two, I see the marketing has improved.

STEPHEN HUSS: It's definitely improved.

WESLEY MOODIE: But before that, we win Wimbledon together and, you know, we don't hear about it. We pick up one of the ATP Players Weekly, not even the result is mentioned. So I think that had to change. I mean, if you don't see doubles players on TV, you don't read about them on the websites, no one's going to know them. I think that's the first step to improving the situation.

STEPHEN HUSS: I think it's up to the governing body of tennis, the ATP, to promote not only their top five or ten singles players, but also their doubles players and also the rest of the singles players. I think that the promoting they're doing is just too small an audience. I think there's only five or ten guys that are getting promoted. I think for the interest of tennis in the future, to grow the sport and get people back out watching singles and doubles, promotion is the key.

WESLEY MOODIE: Yes (laughing). Yeah, I mean, I think we were quite relaxed out there, just enjoyed it. You know, I mean, we haven't had the results we probably wanted to in the last few weeks, and maybe that took some of the pressure off here. You know, kind of regroup and kind of keep things simple, enjoy it, and work together, you know. Obviously, I think we both played pretty well, especially Steve, I think. But, yeah, I mean, was great fun out there.

WESLEY MOODIE: Yeah, I mean, it's great to play in front of a crowd, especially a big crowd. Especially, I mean, you have good points out there and the crowd really enjoys it. It makes us enjoy it a lot more as well.

STEPHEN HUSS: I think it's fantastic. I'd love to see Roger in the draw every week. He wouldn't be a good draw for a lot of guys, but it would be great. I'd love to play against him and I'd love to see him playing at every tournament. We played in Cincinnati this year and he played doubles there. You know, he's out on the third court, the second match during the day. I think there's an opportunity where you can say, "Hey, we got Roger Federer, the best player in the world, maybe one of the best all-time, and he's playing doubles," but they don't showcase it. It's still out on the third court and it's second match in the middle of the afternoon. I mean, if you can put that match on center court, I think that does a lot for the doubles guys.