Pro Tour Feeling Blue....

Well the pros are in Madrid this week and the big story is the fact that this year the tournament directors switched the surface to BLUE clay from the traditonal red. The response from the players has been pretty negative so far with many top players saying it is too slippery and plays much faster than traditional clay. Coming from a place where we have blue football fields, I can understand the tournament's desire to create some marketing buzz. I can also see how their explanation that it makes it easier to track the ball on TV would be true. However, I don't know how the ATP and WTA approved the switch without garnering any early feedback from their players. I know the ATP has said that this is essentially a "test" year and the surface will be evaluated after the tournament. With that said, it just seems like a bit more player involvment this year would have potentially cut back on the negative press they are getting right now. I am all for innovation that brings more people to the sport, I just think there are ways to innovate while still honoring tradition. What do you think? Do you like a radical change like blue clay? Or would you like to see tradition stay in place?

"Champions keep playing until they get it right."
Billie Jean King