With 72,200 spectators, the Swiss Indoors tournament has set a new attendance record. This figure is a pleasing sidenote. Quality sport is the focus of the third-largest indoor tournament on the ATP World Tour and this reached an exceptionally high level this year. The Tour’s reform agenda, with its three different formulas, namely 1000, 500 and 250 events, has increased the level of competition at the top of the game. On the global tennis stage, Basel has bolstered its reputation of representing the ‘name of the game’ in Europe as the continent constantly tries to defend itself against the might of the USA and Asia in this sport. The decisions to use the same brand of ball (Head) as at the ATP Tour World Finals, and to play on the same surface, proved to be the tournament’s masterstroke. World number one Novak Djokovic earned great respect for the determination he showed in fighting to regain his form following a layoff through injury. Before the quarter-final the slightly fatigued Serbian superstar took a snooze in the locker room. After his brutal elimination on Saturday (only his fourth defeat of the whole season) he indulged in a fondue in one of Basel’s restaurants.