"They are going to have take a MENSA test on tennis order of plays": Rome Open scheduling once again comes under fire

The Rome Open has followed the Madrid Open in some very weird scheduling pattern which caught the attention of many including former players.

The new format of the ATP Masters events isn't something that seems to have a lot of fans. Sure, some players like Sabalenka have admitted to liking it but others like Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic don't seem to be fans. The latest example of that was the scheduling on the ATP side that will see players have two days off between the quarter-finals and semi-finals.

Ruud and Rune played their matches on Wednesday and won't play until Saturday which hasn't been the practice anywhere else on tour. If anything the usual rest is one day however due to some curious scheduling they'll have two days off and then no days off between the semi-final and final.

Murray's former coach Mark Petchey commented on the scheduling:

"It’s so disjointed even for the people who follow this sport. Imagine being a casual fan checking in after getting interested via Netflix. They are going to have take a MENSA test on tennis order of plays.Keep it [the two-week format]. They are putting a lot of faith in 4 days where you need every singles match to deliver. Finals are different due to the occasion but it’s a big risk for 4 days. Unlike the tour finals you aren’t guaranteed a Top 8 player."