Fast4 Tennis has become somewhat part of tennis since its unveiling in Sydney last year. It has been dubbed ‘the tennis version of Twenty 20 cricket’.
The thing about T20 cricket is that there have not been many rule changes, apart from the lack of leniency when it comes to bowling wides and so on. It has made the game faster and more exciting with the objective for batsmen is to hit as many runs as quickly as possible.
The cricket world has embraced the shortest format of the game, with fans flocking to grounds to witness matches even eleven years after the very first T20 international between Australia and New Zealand.
Fast 4 Tennis has certainly attracted crowds with 11,000 people packing in to Allphones Arena in Sydney to watch the ‘Australia versus The World’ event on Monday night.
Where Fast 4 Is Lacking
However, it lacks the competitive nature that many fans love about tennis. Most spectators love those big points, the long rallies that keep them on the edge of their seats and players not fluffing about at the net trying to hit the most ridiculous angle.
The lack of competitiveness in Fast 4 differs completely from Twenty 20 cricket, as formidable performances could lead to a national call up, the pinnacle for cricketers. There is no national selection possibility for the short form of tennis, as the results and player performances do not count for anything.
The amount of rule changes for the new format is also concerning, with many viewers struggling to understand them. For example, there are no lets, sets are first to four instead of six with a tiebreak at 3-all, when the score reaches deuce there is no advantage and finally, the score in games is different, instead of a player being up 15-0, it becomes 1-0 and so on.
The results are also misleading for fans, with Lleyton Hewitt defeating Rafael Nadal in straight sets, a result that surely wouldn’t occur at next week’s Australian Open.
Fast 4 has been entertaining to watch, with the early match between Gael Monfils and Nick Kyrgios producing some of the best shot making seen in an exhibition. Both players were exhibiting their enigmatic flare and prowess around the court, which left fans in awe of the brilliance of the two.
All four players participating in the event enjoyed it, with Lleyton Hewitt telling Fox Sports Australia;
“Fast4 is a good concept for today’s world when people’s time is busier and they can’t give the amount of time required for the longer traditional format,”
“It is a great format to encourage more people to play, and hopefully entice those who used to play to reconnect to the sport.” Hewitt said.
Nadal also enjoyed the event and is a keen supporter of the format; “I enjoyed playing the format in Melbourne this year and think it’s very exciting for both players and fans,”
“It’s easy for the crowd to get involved in every point which makes for a great atmosphere,” said the 14-time Grand Slam champion.
Fast 4 Tennis needs a lot of work if it is to become an institution; there are many pitfalls that make it vastly inferior to the tennis that fans have known and loved for many years. The entertainment that it provides is certainly worth watching, but is entertainment everything?