Milan New Rules Stunning Success with Best of Five Sets
- Thread starter Meles
- Start date
Shaolin
Talk Tennis Guru
The cool thing about No Let is that while there will be some points of luck occasionally (ball dribbling over) there will also be a lot of cool random points where the ball sits up and the returner has to suddenly adapt, getting up to net and hitting a transition shot. This will add a lot of excitement to the return and force players that never go to net under any condition (Khanchov, Rublev, other bashers) to have to get up there and do something. Thats pretty cool if you ask me. Plus it speeds up the game and will be fun for rec players too.
Chanwan
G.O.A.T.
agree. I would like a shot clock though. Starting from when the ball is dead.
Chanwan
G.O.A.T.
thanks - I meant the shot clock though (SC) ;-)
Adv. Edberg
Legend
I really don’t like it at all.
There’s no buildup or excitement in the sets anymore.
The headsets/coaching in the changeover is stupid and you should figure out your strategy yourself. It’s an essential skill that takes a lot of practice.
The robot shouting ‘out’ gets really annoying after awhile.
No-ad feels too much like a lottery.
Haven’t noticed the shot clock too much. I’ll wait for a GS match in 35 degree heat for that.
All in all, can’t believe this is the future of Tennis :/
Poisoned Slice
Bionic Poster
A stunning success in Milan. You should all be proud. Well done. Well ****ing done.
FrontHeadlock
Hall of Fame
No good ever comes from "legislating" your way to more excitement.
Jackuar
Hall of Fame
Sounds like asking for five 800m runs VS three 1500m. (Just take the analogy, not technicalities). I don't like marathons either but this... Not my taste.. Anyway, let's see.Actually this makes the standard best of 3 look like weenie tennis. The tour has had a lot of bad matches lately; talk about watching paint dry.Medvedev was cramping under the stress in the first match. Intense stuff. The shortened sets just remove a lot of the filler. Far, far more intensity in these matches.
Jackuar
Hall of Fame
The problem with this for me is that the baby generation will love it, so atp will take this beyond just an experiment. Serve clock and instant judging are welcome, I should agree.
helterskelter
G.O.A.T.
Nadal is far greater than something so ordinary as "the rules." If the rules say one thing, and Nadal does another, the rules are wrong and need to be amended. Thinking otherwise would reveal you to be a narrow-minded legal positivist who mistakes the mere conventional expression of a human connivance for the glorious beauty of the eternal, natural, and above all moral law of the universe. Surely you do not wish to allow the rules to abuse Nadal?
Adv. Edberg
Legend
About an hour. There won’t be any more 3h matches outside the slams.
Fedberg20
Semi-Pro
TheGhostOfAgassi
Talk Tennis Guru
I dont think they will permanently switch to all these settings. They dont change and old tradition easily. But maybe in some tournaments to have some variations.
I'm not a fan of all new rules, but it won't be the end of tennis and you know that.
You still live in the 80s, that's the problem.
Similar to the way he is hyping Zverev and Thiem, yes.
Bartelby
Bionic Poster
That seems too short a time frame for a match, but for a unique format it is an interesting change.
Meles
Bionic Poster
Noticed this too.
Meles
Bionic Poster
Tuesday matches in order were:
4 sets 1 hour and 50 minutes with 2 tiebreakers
4 sets 1 hour and 36 minutes with 2 tiebreakers
3 sets 1 hour and 17 minutes with 2 tiebreakers
5 sets 1 hour and 46 minutes with 2 tiebreakers, other sets 0-4, 4-0, 4-1
The shot clock and no lets probably shaves some of this time (no lets probably a few minutes at most). Longer matches are certainly possible. These matches were also faster because of no shenanigans:
1. Lines electronically called, so no hawkeye replays to stall
2. So far no crowd issues or delay of play for crowd - surprising
3. Though not part of match time the players have 5 minutes to start play from the moment they walk on the court for warmups - this has not been too big of a change
4. Only 1 MTO per match and 2 treatments at changeover in the minute
5. No extended but picking sessions between points pushing 40 seconds due to shot clock. Probably worth 1-2 minutes per game with the worst abusers.
My feel for these matches and how they were played is that they would not have been extremely long in the old 3 set format. Rublev vs. Quinzi was a match where Quinzi was forced to hit much harder to stop Rublev from mauling him in the ground exchanges. Medvedev was cramping under the stress of the first match and had to start hitting lights out for the last 1.5 sets which again forced both players hands into ultra aggressive play.
Meles
Bionic Poster
Yes and yes. He cramped early this year against Djokovic after killing him for a set and a half in Davis Cup. The opening was very good with quite a few longer rallies despite Khachanov ball bashing as usual and Medvedev having to follow suit as best he could. Almost certainly pressure cramps as his intensity was very high.
Meles
Bionic Poster
Good post. Watch some more because I'm not hearing a robot shouting out which they may have stopped. The headsets and end of set has been very interesting. Quinzi's coach definitely helped him extend the last match to 5 sets and the commentaries were wondering if many of his problems were mental (ranked 300, won Italian wildcard event). It certainly gives the viewer something to watch and enhances the quality of the tennis overall without costing any time.
I'd say there is a human interaction with the lines people and using hawkeye that goes missing with this format, but at the same time the level of play is much higher with the players not being distracted by these things. No replays of points a definite asset, but takes away from some of the drama at the same time.
Meles
Bionic Poster
Who are currently 3 and 4 in the world.
Meles
Bionic Poster
Well you just shot your credibility with this piece of misinformation.
clayqueen
Talk Tennis Guru
The electronic line judge is brilliant because it saves a lot of time. No stopping to challenge and no argument over a line call, play just carries on. I also believe that it's fairer that it operates throughout the match non of the 3 wrong challenges and that's your lot. The coaching is also a good idea but why do they have to make it so public?
Spencer Gore
Legend
They need to stop messing with the rules of tennis to please stupid people.
Adv. Edberg
Legend
It'll be the start of the end for tennis. Cause these new rules to attract the dumb generation won't work. So they will start chaning more and more stuff. Like playing in the dark with neon balls. Whatever todays 16 year olds are into.
clayqueen
Talk Tennis Guru
I'm not that keen on the shorter sets. It's what you'd expect in mini tennis for under 10s. The set is over in the blink of an eye. There is no sitting on the edge of your seat. If they have the TB at 5:5 it would be better. How much are they going to be charging for the tickets to watch mini tennis?
Which says a lot about the tour right nowWho are currently 3 and 4 in the world.
And you know that both would be ranked way lower if Murray/Djokovic/Stan/Nishikori/Raonic and so on were healthy.
D
Deleted member 743561
Guest
How radical are these changes compared to those made in other sports? If they're not staggered, rolled out every few years or something, I think it's a fairly massive overhaul.
Would this be like the NBA adding a five-point shot, doubling quarters to eighths, having players call their own fouls, and making games three-on-three? They did beat tennis to the shot clock, though.
Would this be like the NBA adding a five-point shot, doubling quarters to eighths, having players call their own fouls, and making games three-on-three? They did beat tennis to the shot clock, though.
Just like the change with tiebreaks,
new technology and so on were the end for tennis?
Stupid post. Stop living in the past.
Adv. Edberg
Legend
No, some changes are good. Like changes that makes the sport better. But these changes and the changes they've done over the last 15 years have been pretty bad indeed.
clayqueen
Talk Tennis Guru
There are rule changes and rule changes. The TB was, obviously, a good idea.
Spencer Gore
Legend
Absolutely spot on. Tennis was never meant to be a mass sport for the sort of dumb people who can't sit still for five minutes and don't have the patience to watch a let point being played. Get to your seat for the start of the match, sit down, shut up and respect the players as they play the game and the rules that have delivered thrills and artistry for decades.
junior74
Bionic Poster
As a coach I try to inspire the kids to play matches, to withstand the time-span of a match, try to embrace the moments and go through the different stages and phases, live through a set you know you will lose, only to try to come back and win the match eventually, fight fatigue, don't be a quitter, experience what it's like to take full responsibility. I find these aspects of the game so educational for the youngsters. Tennis is about so much more than winning or losing, basically. I honestly believe this is true for the pros, too. First and foremost tennis is educational, and you join a proud tradition.
How about they play just one set. If it's even at the end of the set, there could be a little crowd participation. Players will be given a number 1 or 2, each seat will have a key pad, spectators are asked to press the number for the player of their choice. Spectators choose the winner.
clayqueen
Talk Tennis Guru
The ATP and ITF need to have their own dedicated TV channels for dedicated tennis fans not pander to the channels who cater for people with a short attention span and not really that interested in the sport. People sit for hours watching cars being driven round and round in circles even though they are unable to see the driver in the car and the only excitement being a pit call or a crash and they are not bored. There is no dull moment in tennis; every strike of the ball is important.
Adv. Edberg
Legend
Yeah exactly. Don't fix what isn't broken. Tennis has been great for the last 40 years with pretty much same rules. So it can't be tennis that is broken but more likely the new generation who has the check their phone at least once every 1 minute.
These have already existed since decades ago and have nothing to do with the new rules.
I really like most of these rules. Tennis was getting a little borish, with sets just dragging on for too long. Entertainment needs to explosive and exciting. So shortening sets, while increasing amount of sets, is a good move. Disagree that this makes players tank the short sets more quickly, a 3-0 deficit can be won back with just 1 re-break, why give that away? You're much quicker to tank a set where you're behind 4-0, 5-0 or 5-1.
The only thing I don't like is the no let rule. Changes the dynamic of the game a little too much. A point can't start with a soft ball like that, it's just weird. And how many time do you gain by removing lets really?
Meles
Bionic Poster
I am in lock step with the Federistas in this wish. Is it really healthy for the sport to have 20,000 people in stadium watching 30 minutes of but picking and delay per match?
natalia
Hall of Fame
Weak era.Who are currently 3 and 4 in the world.
Meles
Bionic Poster
This is what I see. Also if one player gets a lucky start or bad start to a match then you have perhaps a player like Simon sitting at 1 set up with two sets to go. Simon's mission will be to extend the match and make it as grueling as possible. The player who lost that first set then faces two more hours of dangerous torture. I do like Simon's strategy to the game, but is it really helpful to the game as even if a player beats Simon, drawing him may hurt their chances at an event much worse than other players.
In best of 5, Simon grabs a first set the players don't get into a complete fluke hole as they could still finish the match in 4 sets.
The five set format favors the best players with less fluke results. We'd all rather see the very best at the end of an event rather than a fluke run by a player.
In case anyone thinks shorter matches are easier in this format, the reverse may be true. More intensity required throughout and the shot clock takes away some resting time. Rublev after five setter yesterday (a short hard hitting one) has had a noticeably slower serve the next day, clearly some signs of fatigue.
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