With James Ward and potentially Kyle Edmund about to start playing in South America I have to confess I have little or no understanding of how the South American season fits into the rest of the ATP tour.

There are the 250s in Ecuador and Sao Paulo  followed by a 500 in Rio and a 250 in BA all in February and then a 250 in Bogata in July but it all seems a bit after an after thought with other distractions in North America and Europe scheduled simultaneously.

i just wondered if anyone had an understanding of how it all fell together, how do South Americans see their season? given they are traditionally clay court specialists and have no slam do they see it as preparation for a run at the French?