Channel Seven execs are "facing some big decisions in the coming months" following a week of Big Bash League cricket "exposing the soft underbelly" of the Australian Open, according to Ben Horne of the Sydney DAILY TELEGRAPH. The Open has "beaten cricket on just one night since the tournament began," but even then Nick Kyrgios’ "blazing exit from Melbourne Park fell short of expectations that it would be a ratings bonanza and recorded only a narrow win." Questions "will have to be asked" at the Seven Network about why its A$40M ($30.4M)-per-year tennis is "being grand slammed" by Ten’s A$20M ($15.2M)-per-year BBL. Seven might have "invested heavily" in the Australian Open, but there are "suggestions circulating that they may feel compelled to join Ten and Channel Nine in going all in for the Big Bash." The "fear is that tennis' epic fall this season from the record-breaking TV heights of past years will not be turned around any time soon." Free-to-air audiences across the board are down 8% over the past year and "even though the BBL has still performed outstandingly well," it too has experienced a "slight dip" of 6% (DAILY TELEGRAPH, 1/23).