Clock’s ticking! Tennis adjusts to 25-second service deadline
New serve and warm-up clocks that debuted in ATP and WTA main draws this week received generally good reviews from players, although hurried warm-ups cut into music time for some. The serve clock gives players 25 seconds to begin their service motion from the time the chair umpire announces the score. The warm-up clock allows one minute from on-court arrival to get to the net, five minutes for warming up and another minute to get ready to play.
“It’s a positive change for tennis,” three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray said after his first-round match at the Washington Open. “It’s one of those things in tennis that’s so stupid. How are you supposed to count 25 seconds in your head?”
While umpires have some discretion, the clock assures players and umpires are on the same wavelength when it comes to measuring the gap, with ball bouncing and gestures not counted as starting a serve motion.
“It was great. I don’t feel any pressure,” said three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka. “You still have a lot of time and it’s good for the game. For sure you look (at the clock) but you’re always early compared to the umpire.”
The biggest complaints came from two 20-year-old rising stars, Japan’s Naomi Osaka and American Frances Tiafoe.
MAJOR GRIPE
But it wasn’t about the serve clock. It was about one-minute countdown from walking out to getting to the net for the coin toss. For players accustomed to a more leisurely pace in their teen years, it’s tough to take off the headphones and leave behind their music so quickly.
“It’s good. I think it would be well to speed it up. Some guys definitely take their time, move bottles around. But long matches are still going to be long matches,” said 41st-ranked Tiafoe. “The minute to walk on, I
KONTA CRUISES
Britain’s Johanna Konta continued her dominance over American competition with a 6-1, 6-4 dismantling of Sofia Kenin at the Silicon Valley Classic on Wednesday.
Konta’s service game was once again sharp as she fired nine aces while winning 72 percent of her first serves and 81 percent of her second against the American teenager on a sun-soaked day at San Jose State University.
Konta, a champion at the tournament two years ago, will face fourth seed Elise Mertens in the quarterfinals after the 22-year-old Belgian cruised to a 6-2, 6-0 win over American Ashley Kratzer.
STEPHENS LOSES
Sloane Stephens’ preparations for her U.S. Open title defence suffered a setback A one-minute clock will begin when the second player/team entering the court arrives at their chair(s). If at the end of that one minute, a player is not at the net, he will be notified by the chair umpire and subject to a post-match fine. This will not be a time violation.
A five-minute time clock will begin after the coin-toss and begin the warm-up period. Following that, a one-minute countdown will commence after which a player must be ready to play
If a player is not ready, the umpire will announce a “Start of Match Violation” and the player will be subject to a post-match fine. This will not be a time violation.
Note: The chair umpire will have discretion to pause, resume or reset the clock placed in a spot visible to players and fans. don’t like that. I had to take my headphones off so I didn’t get fined there.”
Osaka, ranked 17th, was listening to Kendrick Lamar ahead of her opener when she realised she needed to get moving.
“The most panicky thing for me is the minute you have to get to the net for the coin toss. It cut into my music,” she said.
WASHINGTON:
The server will be given up to 25 seconds to serve. This will be enforced in the following ways:
During a game:
Umpire will announce the score and then start the 25 second-clock. If the player has not started the service motion at the completion of the countdown, the Chair Umpire will issue a time violation.
After even-numbered games:
Umpire will start the clock when the balls are all in place on the server’s end. If the player has not started the service motion at the completion of the 25-second countdown, he will issue a time violation.
Reigning US Open champion Sloane Stephens said it will take some time to adapt to the clock, especially in tight situations.
“It’s a little weird. You have to pay attention,” Stephens said. “When you’re 6-6 in the third set of a close match you don’t want to look at a clock. But it is what it is. Hopefully everyone will adjust well.”
Japan’s Kei Nishikori, the 2014 US Open runner-up, knows he will have less time to decide where he wants to go with serves and to formulate strategy. “For myself, it’s not going to be easy,” he said. “I’m not going to have time to think much about where to put my serve. I won’t have much time to think between the points. ”