Well, he kinda did have a pretty good shot at making the final.
![Tongue :p :p](/forum/images/smilies/original/tongue.gif)
Can't do it when you continue to serve at sub-50 per cent.
And Queens was my thought as well. They might not be keen on giving a Masters and Slam to a country within like two or so weeks, but it hasn't stopped them with giving the US three Masters and one Slam (and countless 250s and 500s). Monte Carlo is being phased out, and I'd like to see grass event replace it.
The problem is, the ATP Tour reforms that have taken place in 2009, and were announced in 2007, were given a lot of thought, and was probably the biggest reform since the inception of the tour. Obviously the biggest part was the introduction of the 500 status. I don't see them changing things in the next few years.
You are right though. They already removed Hamburg clay court event of its 1000 status (which pissed them off, and I think there is still a court case going? Or it may have ended recently), and they eventually settled with Monte Carlo, whereby it kept its 1000 status as a clay court event, but was not a 'compulsory' event for the top players. Not sure what that achieves, but whatever.
The other reform was making Madrid clay instead of hard court, and bringing it earlier into the year to coincide with the build up of the French Open. This was going to be better for Rafa, since he had only won that tournament once before in 2005. Ironically he lost to Federer in the final this year on clay (and almost lost to Djokovic in the semi-final, which in my opinion is still the best tennis match of the year... despite being a best of 3-set match).
I think the reforms for the most part are good, and the fact that there is no big 1000 grass tournament sort of makes Wimbledon that much more special.
It'll be interesting if Federer ever plays Queens again nonetheless.