The service has been interrupted since mid-March… Not the slightest official tennis match to be eaten. To keep busy during this bullet-free regime, many players eat exhibitions where the menu differs from that of the circuit: sets in four games (Adria Tour), super tie-break as a 3rd set (Challenge Elite FFT or Battle of the Brits) or downright experimental cooking with the Ultimate Tennis Showdown. And some would see certain ingredients being found in classic tournaments.
“We should perhaps think about the idea of introducing from time to time a super tie-break, especially on the first rounds of a tournament,” said Dominic Thiem, world No. 3. “I can no longer watch Roland Garros, I can not watch four or five sets, even for a Federer – Nadal, released Richard Gasquet in the Team. When you’ve been watching for 1h20, it’s been 7-6, and 0-1 with the guy who gets broken at the start of the second, I’m done. It’s tiring. I’m not telling you that you should only do extreme formats, but there might be something to be found… ”
“The beginnings of sets are boring”
Whether we are talking about shortened sets, “no ad” (decisive point at 40A), elimination of the let or the second ball on the service, reduction of the time between points, all the rules tested in recent years on events secondary respond to the same problem of controlling the length of matches. In a fast-food and zapping society, tennis would have become too invigorating, whether for amateurs or professionals. In search, like all major sports, for modernism and rejuvenation of the audience.
“Me, I am in favor of the no ad, breaths Jean-François Caujolle, director of the Open 13. It would avoid some extended games. After, possibly, matches in five sets of four games for the dramatic aspect. If there is a break from the second game, we are almost at the end and it is already spectacular. Today, the beginnings of the set are boring. “
Despite his function, Caujolle wants to be traditionalist. “It is especially the organizers, the TVs, who want to change things,” he continues. I wouldn’t want us to end up with against the clock where the one who leads after an hour has won! “In 6:33, Arnaud Clément holds (with Fabrice Santoro) the record for the longest match at Roland Garros in 2004.” The problem of duration comes up regularly, blows the ex-captain of the French Davis Cup team . But a great tie-break, for example, changes a lot of things. The richness of our sport is variety. You have to be complete and enduring. A great tie-break impoverishes our discipline. “
Ultimately, the former world No. 10 would give no ad a chance. “Basically, it won’t change much,” he observes. It can create even bigger moments where everyone can win the game at one point. But do we really need to change anything? We already have the exhibitions that allow us to offer any rule, we must still be able to differentiate them from official competitions! “
Where everything is not necessarily readable. There are thus four Grand Slam tournaments… and as many regulations to put an end to extended matches. Australia practice the super tie-break (in ten points) in the 5th set at 6-6, the US Open the tie-break (in seven points) at 6-6, Wimbledon the tie-break at 12-12 and Roland-Garros the two games apart. “If we want to scratch a little, we could further reduce the time that some take in service, says Caujolle. Ten seconds on the line is enough. “
“The code of conduct is so rigid …”
Beyond the format, the debate also concerns a certain flexibility of mentalities: authorizing coaching during matches, adopting less severe regulations to let the players express their character or allow the public to move during the exchanges. “The code of conduct is so rigid and the fines are so important that in fact, the players have self-censored, regrets Patrick Mouratoglou, creator of UTS. They therefore have a behavior which is extremely linear and which is almost the same for everyone. “
The temptation to refresh the lines is not necessarily shared by the new generation. Winner of the Junior Australian Open at the start of the year, Harold Mayot, 18, is one of the fiercest defenders of tennis before…
