WILL ATP SNUB L.A? MARQUEE PLAYERS MIGHT SKIP FUTURE MERCEDES CUPS.

Byline: Brian Dohn Daily News Staff Writer

Before foot surgery knocked Pete Sampras out of the 1998 Mercedes Benz Cup, and prior to Greg Rusedski and Thomas Enqvist also bailing due to injury, the quality of the field in Los Angeles rivaled some of the best non-major tennis tournaments of the year.

A rules change and a proposed schedule change by the ATP Tour has Mercedes Cup tournament director Bob Kramer skeptical that such a field - which included Sampras, Patrick Rafter, Boris Becker, Tim Henman, Goran Ivanisevic and Andre Agassi - will again be possible.

When the new millennium begins, so too does the mandate that the top 50 players (and six qualifiers) must participate in each of the Mercedes Super 9 events. That could produce a ripple effect for the non-Super 9 events, which includes the World Series-level Mercedes Cup at the Los Angeles Tennis Center at UCLA.

``We are concerned about what impact that will have,'' Kramer said. ``There's a lot of trepidation of what the impact will be on the calendar. There is concern the players might play less of the other events if they are compelled to play nine of the Super 9s and all four Grand Slams.''

The Super 9 tournaments and the Grand Slams will be used as a way to create standings for the players, which will be parlayed into a simplified standings system that is easier for Joe Fan to understand.

It's the contention of the non-Super 9 tournament directors that the top players will play fewer non-Super 9 tournaments because such an emphasis will be placed on performing well in the Super 9 and Grand Slam events.

The ATP Tour schedule is set up so the Mercedes Benz Cup tournament serves as a precursor to the du Maurier Open in Toronto, which is a Super 9 event. The 1999 Mercedes Benz is scheduled for July 26-Aug. 1.

So a player of Sampras' or Rafter's status might opt to bypass the Mercedes Cup in order to remain fresh and injury-free for the du Maurier. Thus, the field would be weakened markedly if several of the elite players choose the same path.

``I think that being on the eve of a Super 9 tournament, some players may feel that if they make it to the final of the tournament the week before, they may not be fresh for the Super 9,'' said Kevin O'Keefe, former ATP Tour director of media services and now president of Riprock Sports Marketing in Pacific Palisades. ``Some players will have that mindset, and it could hurt the tournament fields.''

Further complicating matters for non-Super 9 tournament directors is a change in schedule. The ATP Tour, trying to market tennis worldwide, is considering shifting the dates of several tournaments so Super 9s aren't played in back-to-back weeks. However, as the schedule stands, the Mercedes Cup will precede Super 9 tournaments in Toronto and Cincinnati.

``I believe with Los Angeles being before the Super 9s, before the two have-to-plays, Los Angeles is in a good position,'' said J. Wayne Richmond, executive vice president of the Americas for the ATP Tour. ``It's a hardcourt, in this country right before the Supers, and it's great for guys making the transition from clay to hardcourt.''

While tournament directors did address the ATP Tour about potential problems with the new Super 9 format and schedule changes during the U.S. Open, they don't have a final say.

Instead, that will go to the ATP Tour Board of Directors, made up of three player representatives, three tournament representatives and ATP Tour CEO Mark Miles. A final decision is expected in late November during meetings at the ATP Tour World Championship in Hannover. However, most involved in tennis agree the decision was already made.

``Until we see who plays the tournaments in 2000, we're not going to know what the results are, the psychological part of playing all the Super 9s,'' Kramer said. ``(The ATP Tour) is looking at marketing the sport, and in 2003 how much better things will be. (Tournament directors) are looking around as business people and saying, `That's great,' but while you're doing it, what's going to happen in Los Angeles and Scottsdale and New Haven and Indianapolis?''

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PHOTO Stars like Pete Sampras might skip some ATP Tour stops, including L.A., under new rules that force them to play all Super 9 events.

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press