Buenos Aires Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero wants organisers to keep Argentina''s top men''s tennis tournament a claycourt event.
Buenos Aires Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero wants organisers to keep Argentina''s top men''s tennis tournament a claycourt event.
The organisers are seriously considering converting to a hardcourt tournament from next year to try and attract top players.
"It would be a clear mistake because there are already many tournaments on fast courts. I will do everything I can for (the Latin American tournaments) to remain as they are," said Ferrero, who also won the Brasil Open the previous week.
The 2003 French Open champion, who has moved on to another claycourt tournament at Acapulco this week, added: "My goal is to keep playing at this level. I want to be among the top 10 again and what I achieved (here) is very important to gain confidence."
The Buenos Aires Open faces a crossroads after 10 years' continual growth came to head with a brilliant final between Spaniards David Ferrer and Ferrero, who won Sunday's final 5-7 6-4 6-3.
But, run by Argentine former ATP Tour and Davis Cup player Martin Jaite, three major factors are regarded as conspiring against it being a greater success.
Being a claycourt tournament it is only likely to attract leading players from countries such as Spain, Italy and Argentina's neighbours and even then not the very best.
The finalists were both here as part of their plans to climb back into the world's top 10.
Then there was the little success enjoyed by Argentine players this year with only one reaching the semi-finals, 2007 champion Juan Monaco, and home favourite David Nalbandian's comeback from hip surgery nine months ago cut short by a leg muscle tear after two rounds.
This and bad weather meant the crowds came in fewer numbers. Heavy rain disrupted the programme and forced Ferrer and Monaco to play their quarter-finals and semi-finals on Friday.
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