Fatigue a prime concern, says Austin

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The ability to cope with fatigue after a grueling season is one of the most prized commodities at the U.S. Open, according to former world number one Tracy Austin.

This year has been especially challenging and Beijing gold medalists Rafael Nadal and Elena Dementieva were among several players who struggled to shake off Olympic hangovers before winning their opening matches at Flushing Meadows.

"It's always interesting to see who is the most physically fit and hungry coming into the U.S. Open because you can't help but be a little bit drained," Austin told Reuters on Tuesday.

"Before the Olympics, you had the French (Open) and Wimbledon and then you've got the U.S. Open in a very short span of about two-and-a-half months.

"That's a very short time for expending a lot of energy, both mental and physical."

American Austin, who became the youngest U.S. Open champion in 1979 aged 16, believes the hectic international schedule is the biggest negative in the modern game.

"The season is too long and every player will tell you they are exhausted by the end of the year," she said.

"When I played, the first three months of the year were in the U.S., 12 weeks in a row with not many time changes.

"Now it's so much more international and, with all the time changes and the flights, it's so much more demanding."

SHORTENING SEASON

Austin, a child prodigy whose career was cut short by a series of injuries, is encouraged by plans to limit the playing schedule.

The governing body of women's tennis, the WTA, intends to shorten the season from 2009, trimming the current 25 Tier I and II events down to 20.

"It's called the Road Map to 2010 where they are trying to give the players more of an off-season," Austin said.

"When Justin Henin retired at 25 and Kim Clijsters at 23, those were major blows so the WTA is trying to make sure these young ladies are still eager and hungry for years to come."

Austin, who survived a near-fatal car accident when she was 25, has bitter-sweet memories of her own truncated playing career.

"There is no way you can play, compete and train that many years doing something that you love and thinking you are going to be doing it for a good solid 10-15 years and have it be cut short without being disappointed," said Austin, who is spearheading a skin health awareness campaign called Decades of Smooth.

"But then I look at the other side and I have to knock myself on the head and say: 'Hello, hello, there are so many people that trained as hard as you did that didn't make it to number one in the world'."

(Editing by Pritha Sarkar)