Tennis: Karl Budge - No chance of ASB Classic moving indoors

A wet centre courrt during the ASB Classic WTA Women's Tournament Day 1. Photo / Photosport

The ASB Classic will not be moved indoors under any circumstances – even if inclement weather causes chaos with the schedule over the rest of the week.

The first day of the tournament of Monday was badly affected by rain, with only two singles matches completed by 8:30pm, due to constant showers, and just four in total.

It has forced organisers into a bumper schedule on Tuesday, with a total of 18 singles and doubles matches to be played, including three on court five, which is usually reserved as a practice court.

The forecast is not promising for the rest of the week, with heavy rain predicted on Thursday and Friday, but tournament director Karl Budge said there was no chance of matches being staged indoors at Albany tennis park, or inside the dome at the ASB Tennis centre, as has happened occasionally in the past.

"We are an outdoor tournament - we won't play indoors," said Budge. "We will double up matches (have players play two rounds in a single day) if we have to."

Budge also said he would prefer not to shift the final to Sunday, as occurred in 2012.

"We would double up on Saturday before we played on Sunday, said Budge. "But there are so many contributing factors."

Monday was a trying day for all concerned.

Players had to deal with long waits – the match between Kirsten Flipkens and Donna Vekic started at 4:30pm and didn't finish until 10:45pm, while second seed Julia Goerges' match was delayed by almost four hours, and finally finished at 1:20am.

"This is not foreign to them..we probably feel it a lot more than they do," said Budge. "They get rain all year around and it is just another day waiting to play a tennis match."

There was also an army of around 80 volunteers and ball boys and girls deployed to dry the court on five separate occasions.

Still, fans can look forward to an impressive schedule today, with 2014 winner Agnieszka Radwanska, Sara Errani, Barbora Strycova and defending champion Lauren Davis all in action during the day, before a night session that features Caroline Wozniacki and local hope Jade Lewis.