Tennis rules should make game more fun

Men’s best-of-five sets should be abandoned in Grand Slams in favour of best-of-three – but not for semis or final

THE Australian Open started this week. The event is one of four Grand Slam, or “major” tennis tournaments (the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open are the other three).

The Slams are special because all the best players, such as Roger Federer and Serena Williams, compete.

Also, the men play best-of-five-set matches instead of the best-of-three-set matches that they play at most other tournaments and as the women play even at the Slams.

Recently, some tennis officials have suggested the men play three-set matches at the Slams. They say the shorter matches may be better for the fans and the players.

After all, some five-set matches are really long.

In the 2012 Australian Open, Novak Djokovic beat Rafael Nadal in a final five-set match that took 5 hours and 53 minutes.

In 2010, John Isner defeated Nicolas Mahut in an early round match at Wimbledon that took 11 hours and 5 minutes over three days. Last year, Isner lost a semi-final match at Wimbledon to South Africa’s Kevin Anderson that took 6 hours and 36 minutes.

That is a long time for even the most devoted tennis fan to watch a match in the stands or on television. Long matches are really hard on the players. Remember that they are the ones running on the court for all that time.

Some fans, however, want to keep the five-set matches.

They say it should be hard to win a major tournament, and the long matches can be very exciting. In addition, they say the men’s five-set matches are a tradition that shouldn’t be changed.

But lots of sports change their rules to make the games more fun and exciting. I think they should change the rules in the tennis Slams and have the men play three-set matches in the first five (of seven) rounds of the tournament. The final and semi-final matches can stay five sets.

The shorter, quicker matches should be more exciting for the fans.

After all, the women play threeset matches, and they have plenty of exciting matches.

And sometimes change can be good for a sport. – The Washington Post.

z Bowen is the author of 23 sports books for kids.

Joao Sousa of Portugal celebrates winning his round two men’s singles match against Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany at the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne.PICTURES: EPA-EFE/AFRIAN NEWS AGENCY (ANA)

Taro Daniel of Japan in action during his men’s singles second round match against Denis Shapovalov of Canada at the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne.

Venus Williams of the US in action against Alize Cornet of France during their women’s second round match of the Australian Open.