Brisbane, Australia, Jan 8 (AFP/APP): Five-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova said the Brisbane International felt like “a second-hand event” with women relegated to outside courts to make way for men playing the inaugural ATP Cup. The WTA tournament is being run alongside the Brisbane leg of the men’s new team tournament, which has taken over centre court at the Queensland Tennis Centre. Former US Open champion Sloane Stephens blasted organisers on Tuesday, accusing them of favouring the male players and not respecting women, with Sharapova also weighing in. “You definitely recognise it and notice it,” she said, with even Australian world number one Ashleigh Barty, who is his hugely popular in Brisbane, relegated to an outside court. “It feels like a little bit of a second-hand event.” The ATP Cup’s last round-robin matches in Brisbane are on Wednesday, meaning the women can only play on centre court from Thursday. Under the ATP Cup’s innovative tournament rules, on-court coaching is allowed and team zones are in the corners of the court, rather than on the sidelines by the umpire. Sharapova, who crashed in the first round to American Jennifer Brady on Tuesday evening, suggested this could be a reason why … Continue reading Sharapova slams ‘second-hand’ Brisbane event as men take over