Players Under the Microscope / Editor / 16 April 2007 /

Roger Federer has issued a "scream for help" against a proposed shake-up of the tennis calendar, demanding players have a greater say in the scheduling of events.

The ATP is considering a proposal by the ATP, the sport's governing body, to cut the number of Masters Series events from nine down to seven.

Monte Carlo and Hamburg are likely to be downgraded in the revamped calendar but world number one Federer is upset that none of the sport's top players have been consulted.

Federer, speaking in Monte Carlo, said: "This is a scream for help.

"We've not been happy the past few months. A (player) meeting in Miami (last month) was a big disappointment.
"These decisions need to be taken more slowly, we want a say as well.

"We're the ones out there on court in the tennis shorts, they're not."

The ATP are expected to reveal the 2009 calendar before the end of the month but Federer cannot understand the rush.
"We need to speak with the bosses, things are going too fast.

"I've had many meetings with ET (De Villiers). He listens but then goes and does things his way - I wish he would listen more.
"We've gone from Mark Miles (De Villiers' predecessor) doing nothing to ET doing too much."

Federer is unsurprisingly the overwhelming 1.04 favourite to see off Andreas Seppi in the second round of the Monte Carlo Masters (23) in the Match Odds market as the Swiss star looks to get back into the winning groove after recent upsets at the Sony Ericsson Open and Indian Wells events.

Federer can also be backed at 2.94 to win the Monte Carlo tournament with Spain's hat-trick chasing and claycourt specialist, Rafael Nadal, trading as the 2.34 favourite.

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