IT is time the US Open lost its status as a Grand Slam tournament due to the fans' apathy. When matches are staged in front of practically empty stadiums it is hard to justify Flushing Meadows as one of the top four events in the world.

The Americans are notorious for only being interested in their own sportsmen and women which is why the foreign tennis players are made to feel decidedly lonely when they go on court.

It is not fair on them and not credible for tennis and the sport would be far better off taking the grand slam status off the USA and giving it to an eastern European nation which is a hotbed of tennis talent and enthusiasm.