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ESPN's Cliff Drysdale Addresses Key Tennis Issues As U.S. Open Gets Under Way

There are very few people in the world of tennis that have the breadth of experience that Int'l Tennis HOFer and longtime ESPN broadcaster Cliff Drysdale has. The South Africa native had a decorated pro career, which included his effort in the founding of the ATP. Drysdale's days as a tennis commentator also date back to the first days of ESPN -- literally. His first ESPN tennis telecast came just one week after ESPN debuted in '79. Outside of Bob Ley, no ESPN personality has had a longer tenure with the net. With the U.S. Open under way today in N.Y., Drysdale took some time to chat with THE DAILY on an array of topics, including the state of tennis, hot-button issues facing the sport and ESPN's first crack at broadcasting every match from Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Drysdale said of his expectations for ESPN, “I think it is going to be the most impressive tennis show ever put on the air.”

Q: How do you view the overall health of the sport?
Drysdale: It's very, very strong and it is going to continue. It has kept pace with other sports. The majors are getting stronger every day. It is hard to get tickets now for the U.S. Open. And that is a pretty good indication. The prices that the tickets are going for are staggering. The second-tier events are even seeing dramatic improvements. In Cincinnati, for example, they had by far the largest crowd in their history. Indian Wells broke all records this year as well.

Q: What can be improved?
Drysdale: I would like to see the sport become a lot more organized. There needs to be a meeting of all of the sport’s authorities at the end of the year to consider how to improve the presentation. That does not happen. If those groups could all get together in one room and do what is right for the sport, the improvements would be even more dramatic. I am not holding my breath, but I think that in the next couple of years, we may see a move in that direction. I hope so.

Q: How will full coverage of this year’s U.S. Open affect ESPN's audience numbers? 
Drysdale: The big thing from a viewer’s standpoint is that you do not have to guess which network it is on anymore. It is going to be on the ESPN family of networks. I think that is really going to help our ratings. One of the aggravating things for me during the French Open is when it is on Tennis Channel at certain times, ESPN at certain times and then NBC takes it on the weekend. You have to be pretty dedicated to figure out where the tennis is. That is not going to be the case here and I think that is going to be a big plus.

Q: How has your approach to calling matches changed through the years?
Drysdale: Less preparation, if anything. Less because we have so much backup with our media consultants. In the early days, there were no people feeding you with the graphic information and the statistics that we have access to now. You had to do it all yourself. They make it to where you do not have to spend as much time. You just go there, get the facts and then call the matches as you see them. I think it ends up being a better show.

Q: Rank the four majors in terms of facilities.
Drysdale: The dramatic improvements with the Aussie Open -- three retractable roofs -- are ahead of the curve and are the most progressive. Wimbledon started with their renovations second. The English tend to take their time, but they also do it right. They are headed in the right direction. Hats off to the USTA. It was unimaginable to me that you could find a way to put a roof over that whole stadium -- and it fits -- without compromising in any way. It is not just the stadium; they have really taken account of the flow of pedestrian traffic. It gets better every year. The French, obviously, is the last. They are having a problem politically trying to find the space to expand.

Q: Will there ever be a major in Asia?
Drysdale: No. That is like asking if there is going to be a fifth major in golf. Not in China and not anywhere else. If there was ever going to be one, it would have happened in the early days of pro tennis when the Australians were way behind. They stepped up to the plate, did what they had to do and made the investment. They are never going to take away a major from the current cities. I guess you should never say never, but it is hard for me to imagine.

Q: What would it mean for tennis if Serena Williams completed the calendar-year grand slam?
Drysdale: It would be huge for the sport because it would be a historic achievement and tennis will be in the news because of it. It is the major story of the U.S. Open. Everybody is interested in it. Everybody is going to follow it. I think it will give us a lot more publicity than it would if she were not going for the Grand Slam.

Q: Is a controversial figure like Nick Kyrgios good for the game of tennis?
Drysdale: Kyrgios has gone overboard. You should not be able to get away with the kind of comments that he made in Canada. But the extent to which we are talking about it certainly does not hurt. It is like a Dennis Rodman or Connors-McEnroe. It shows there is still room for individuality. I have my own sense of outrage over the way he behaves and the things that he says. But I am a mature viewer and player, so I cannot speak for the kids. I think the younger generation probably responds positively to it. In the big picture, I do not think it hurts to have somebody who is a rebel. Andre Agassi characterized himself as a rebel in the early days, and then he became a beloved figure. Tennis players are like purses, if you do not like one, there is always another one around the corner.

Q: Would a marquee U.S. men’s player raise the profile of the sport domestically?
Drysdale: It would help. Would it make a major, dramatic difference? I do not think so, because Serena has been a major help as an American. But I do think that men’s tennis is in a better place than women’s tennis right now. If we had a real male contender from the U.S., it would help. I think it would be a nice injection to have. The time will come shortly. It happens in cycles.

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