As I was trying to bring the Fast4 topic to a close, I noticed one more awesome variation in the decisions that a sanctioning body could make regarding implementation of the short set tie-break. The wording with emphasis on the potential variation is as follows:
The order and number of serves shall be determined by the sanctioning body.
USTA Friend at Court, Appendix V.1
I examined the Tennis Australia Fast4 rules and regulations again and determined that number of serves is not an option presented in the Aussie publication. Essentially this is a “Short Set” exclusive variation. Since this particular rule is in the context of Short Set tie-breaks, it opens the possibility that a set could be played with conventional two serve rules, and then abruptly switch to one serve in the tie-break.
Other that my obsessive compulsive focus on Fast4, I am not entirely sure how I missed the potential variation in my initial pass through the Short Set rules. Having experienced the service order ambiguity first hand, my thinking immediately gravitated to that issue overlooking the full implications of the wording.
This is going to seem like an odd statement for a person that frequently double faults to make, but the potential that a one serve rule could be imposed kind of makes me happy. I actually play the single serve format for drills and practice matches and think that it is a terrific approach to address issues with serving consistency. I play with guys a lot, and it is also an effective mechanism for negating the effect of an overpowering serve and forcing practice matches into more rally points.
I poked around looking for evidence that a tournament or event has ever been conducted with a single serve restriction in any capacity and found none. I am guessing that it has likely never occurred which makes me wonder why this provision is in the rules in the first place.
It has also occurred to me that a sanctioning body could also elect to increase the number of serves. That would seem to be contrary to the decision process that had an event playing the “Short Set” format at all, however.
I should also share that I am starting to dip a toe into pestering the applicable sanctioning organizations with questions about particular rules implementations. This morning I sent a question to the ITF asking specifically about the number of serves in the short-set tie-break game. This is actually not the first question that I have formally submitted in conjunction with this project and will undoubtedly not be the last.
I have one more Fast4 parting shot to deliver tomorrow and then we will be on to Section 7, “Score in a Match.”
- United States Tennis Association (2020) Friend at Court. White Plains, NY
- 2020 Australian Ranking Tournament Rules and Regulations, Tennis Australia, December 21, 2019.
