MASON - The 2003 Western & Southern Financial Group Masters will be held a week later in the year, part of a rescheduling move by the ATP Tour.

        Next year's main draw is set for Aug. 11-17. The Tennis Masters Series event in Canada also will move and remain the week before Cincinnati. Both tournaments will be closer to the U.S. Open, which begins Aug. 25.

        “Players basically funnel into a continent and a surface as they approach a (Grand) Slam ... so it just makes more sense for both Canada and Cincinnati, our highest-level tournaments in the summer, our Masters Series events, to be in the two weeks where we know everybody's going to play if they can play,” ATP Tour CEO Mark Miles said.

        The main objection Western & Southern officials have is the perception that their event will be viewed as a U.S.Open warmup.

        “It wasn't our choice (to move the date),” tournament director Bruce Flory said. “I guess I'm not crazy about it. I think it's a negative, but it's not a terrible negative. Now, as big a championship as we have here, there are enough people who are talking about how this tournament affects their play at the U.S.Open and it will obviously make that a stronger deal.”

        There are tournaments far more upset than Cincinnati about changes in the calendar.

        The RCA Championships in Indianapolis and the Legg Mason Classic in Washington, D.C., have filed a federal lawsuit against the ATP, citing unfair practices that will limit their tournaments' chances to attract top players. Indianapolis, which starts Monday, was moved to July 21, opposite two overseas events. Washington will be July28, opposite Sopot (Poland) and Los Angeles.

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