Public garden may be key to saving Roland Garros venue (News Feature)

By Bill Scott Jun 1, 2010, 13:41 GMT

Paris - French tennis officials have rolled the dice on a daring gamble which could come up trumps to secure the future of Roland Garros as home of the French Open.

Despite complaints from public and players about crowding at the 8.5 hectare venue, French federation managing director Gilbert Ysern suggested Tuesday that the political winds in Paris may be changing in favour of expanding the prime location which has hosted the clay-court major since 1928.

The key, he said, was recent approaches made by the event to other venues outside the capital, including one near EuroDisney and another not far from Versailles palace to the west.

'The city knows we are considering moving if needed,' said the former cycling official. 'They realise they may now be in competition with other sites.'

Ysern said that while nothing has been decided - a federation vote is expected next February on the momentous decision - the issue is evolving quickly.

'We are already too crowded today.' he said of the smallest of the four Grand Slam venues, which is less than half the size of Wimbledon and Australian Open sites. 'If we have to move, it is a serious threat to the city of Paris.

'We have to think of the development of the sport over the next ten to 20 years.'

Ysern said it would cost around 200 million euros (246 million dollars) to build an umbrella-like moveable roof over the Chatrier stadium, plus massively expand the facilities inside the centre court and generally create more space on the compact grounds.

But key to the project is gaining permission from city hall to expand into the adjoining - and treasured - municipal Jardin des Serres, which contain some sections of greenery and plant life which would not be touched.

Like Wimbledeon and it's Fred Perry statue and garden, Roland Garros could design around the irreplaceable botanic elements in a proposed plan which could add 'a third of a half' to the current size of the tennis venue and solve the space problem without making a 600 million-euro move out of the city.

'There is also a clearing across the road in the Bois de Bolougne which we would hope to use - we don't know exactly how yet - to solve some of the public crowding,' said the MD.

'If we can do this, we would still be the smallest venue, but one of the nicest. Each Slam has its own identity, no one wants them all to feel or look the same. And we could keep the tournament in the town.'

Ysern said studies indicate that Roland Garros injects around 250 million euros annually into the Paris economy, a not insignificant sum these days.

The tournament manager admitted that he was frankly puzzled by the lack any kind of local support from residents who live nearby in the toney 16 arrondissement.

'The people around here are spoiled, they don't realise what Roland Garros brings to them,' he said.

'Of course there is some inconvenience in parking and driving for two weeks per year. But we had absolutely now voices of support. No one seems to notice.'

Ysern said that even without eventual agreement with Paris officials, 'we will continues, we will survive,' indicating that the other two proposed venues are ready to back up their eagerness to host the world event with tax and other concessions. He said that a Versailles location could tie in nicely as it has played such a role in French history, while the event would have to be careful to prevent its brand from being diluted were it to move too near to EuroDisney.

Ysern said that surveys which show public complaints about lack of space also show that 95 to 98 percent of visitors to the tournament have the intention to return.

'This is the paradox we are working with. We are proud of our tournament, but in the last 10 years the quality of the experience has been downgraded.

'We've not decided if we will move or not, but we don't want to just stay as we are.'