Federer says days of round robin are numbered

DUBAI, Mar 4 (Reuters) The days of the round robin system are numbered following the recent fiasco at the Las Vegas Open, world number one Roger Federer said.

ATP chief executive Etienne de Villiers had to apologise for not fully understanding the issues when he ruled American James Blake, rather than little-known Russian Evgeny Korolev, should go into the quarter-finals at the end of the round robin stage.

The situation was complicated by the fact that Blake had needed to beat Argentine Juan Martin del Potro with the loss of no more than five games to reach the last eight.

He was leading 6-1 3-1 when his opponent retired because of breathing problems, handing Blake a walkover.

The American was told he would not advance because the rules stated that games won or lost in a walkover did not count, but after officials consulted de Villiers the decision was reversed.

Korolev had beaten Blake in the round robin stage, and the decision to put the American into the quarter-finals provoked uproar, with Russia's Marat Safin and Australian Lleyton Hewitt leading the protests before Korolev was reinstated.

''Everybody knows I was against it (the round robin system) in the first place,'' Federer said yesterday. ''It's actually very disappointing to see things like this had to happen first before you realise that the system is not going to work.

''Nothing against Etienne de Villiers, he's trying his best, but all I hope is he doesn't change the integrity of the game.

''I've always said you have to keep tennis the way it is and not try to change and mix it up and try too many things at the same time. He's burned his hands on that, that's for sure, and I doubt it's going to happen next year, the round robin system.

''It's going to be interesting to see their (the ATP's) reaction now because they're definitely under pressure. I think it's a bad situation that happened.'' Reuters DH VP0535