Several fans were left disappointed when a late decision was taken to move Serena Williams' much-anticipated battle with Emma Raducanu at the Cincinnati Open to Tuesday.
Williams' upcoming retirement at the US Open meant there would have been much attention surrounding whoever she played at her final appearance at the Cincinnati Open in Ohio.
However, the American being drawn against last year's US Open champion, Emma Raducanu, only increased that attention. It will be a battle of two generations of Grand Slam winners.
The match was initially scheduled for Monday. Naturally, that increased the demand for tickets on that day, and some of the fans who bought tickets undoubtedly only did so to watch Williams and Raducanu.
That makes the decision to move the pair's match to Tuesday a grave disappointment for many fans, some of whom took to social media to express their disgust about Williams and Raducanu not being on Monday's schedule.
“This is so disappointing. After spending HUNDREDS of dollars watching Serena, the schedule gets changed the night before? Been coming to watch Serena Williams play in Cincinnati since the mid 2000’s. Watching the GOAT play one last time would have been a dream come true."
"I am pretty peeved off. I bought tickets and now had to pay 3x as much for Tuesday tickets. I doubt my Monday tickets will be able to resell. There better be some reimbursement.”
Although it is not meant as disrespect to the very talented players scheduled for Monday, the disappointment many have about missing out on one of Williams' final matches before retirement is understandable.
It is possible that the Cincinnati Open is trying to financially benefit from Tuesday's ticket prices. Scheduling Williams vs. Raducanu when tickets are more expensive will likely generate a greater windfall for the tournament from the increased demand.