Once again we are at the time of the year when withdrawals are ripe; calls for the ATP Tour to be trimmed are again being idly thrown around and there are more unexpected names lifting tour trophies.

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Why? The general feeling is that the ATP Tour is too long and there is little protection for the top players.

It has become the norm these days for players to withdraw from various tournaments after the US Open. This means that after September 13, countless tournaments worldwide have far weaker fields. But is this fair on paying customers?

For example, last year's ATP Tour Championships held in Shanghai were a fine display of cumulative burnout! This tournament is touted as the biggest outside of the Slams; players compete all year and the top eight battle for the crown. In theory, tennis of the highest order. In reality, survival of the fittest. Held each year from November 22 to 29, this year - and until 2012 - it is set to grace British shores.

The world's top eight players are set to take to the court at the 02 Arena, but British tennis fans would be forgiven for being a little apprehensive.

Just four days prior to last year's event, Rafael Nadal pulled out for the second time in four years, Gilles Simon took his place and the two alternates were world No.26 Radek Stepanek and No.35 Nicholas Kiefer (other notable players rejected, citing Davis Cup preparation).

On the fourth day Andy Roddick pulled out, allowing Stepanek an opportunity. He turned up without his own racquets and borrowed some socks off Murray.

The most notable victory was Andy Murray’s over Roger Federer, dumping him out of the round-robin stage for the first time in his career.

A win was not essential for Murray but his respect for Roger’s achievements spurred him on and left him running on empty in his defeat at the semi-final stage by Nikolay Davydenko.

It is notable that two players who had come under severe pressure for under-performing throughout the season (and under accusations of throwing matches in Davydenko’s case) contested the final.

A very consistent Murray had simply run out of steam, a red-hot Rafa had prioritised Davis Cup commitments, and the best ever was simply out of form. Not quite the spectacular tennis some expected, eh?

Regular preachers for the calendar to be cut are Andy Roddick and Nadal. The ATP Tour offers little protection for its top players, evident with the recent lay-offs of Murray, Nadal and Federer.

The top players are required to play eight of the nine Masters events with heavy fines if they fail to compete, Monte Carlo being the exception.

Add this to the four mandatory Grand Slam tournaments, plus the reward of an extra week if they finish in the top eight, and burnout is inevitable.

It is perplexing that there is such a big gap between two major Slams - Wimbledon, which ends after the first week in June, and the US Open, which starts at the very end of August with only the Rogers Cup and Western and Southern Financial Group Masters in between.  

Another issue is the length of the gruelling clay-court season (from April to nearly the end of May) and the amazingly short grass-court season (which runs through June to mid-July).

Although only once every four years does the actual point of tennis at the Olympics have to be questioned, it will gain huge support with a realistic medal hopeful in 2012.

Tennis was barely watched in the Olympics of Beijing; empty seats could be seen throughout the stadium when Murray played Lu Yen-Hsun of Taiwan in the first round - and the atmosphere was poor.

This is not a great problem due to the Olympics only coming round once every four years, but it's almost a given that a good run at the Olympics coincides with a poor run at the US.

The marathon season spanning from January 1 to December 5 results in little comfort with the fist Grand Slam of the year, the Australian Open, starting on January 18.

The ATP Tour must look after its elite professionals, with Roddick expressing his frustration that the people with the power to change things are often the same people who run the tournaments, producing "a little bit of a conflict of interest".

This sentiment has been echoed by many other top players and hard evidence, like the recent injury troubles of Murray, point to change.

The authorities must look at how a similar situation was dealt with by the WTA when they revamped their calendar and reduced the number of mandatory tournaments from 13 to 10. This resulted in a third less withdrawals and can only be seen as a huge success.

Andrew Gooding, not long turned 18, is an avid tennis fan and full-time student.

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