The Problem With Tennis

6 Hour matches. 35 minute matches. More than 20 seconds between points. No fixed star time. No fixed finish time.

The problem with tennis is it doesn't fit into a pre arranged television slot (or a pre arranged day out for that matter). What's the answer? Whatever the answer is I hope it doesn't involve tampering with the scoring system as this is one of the best things about the game. I also hope it doesn't involve any form of rigid time rules. I want to watch the best tennis not the quickest.

But it is a problem for tennis as opposed to other sports. What if anything can be done?

Why is it a problem?

If every slam final, as opposed to the odd one or one in a given year, is 6 hours I think it will be a problem for the players if it is the same duo - ie I don't think they will be around to contest the following year.

For the viewer - it is part of the fun of the anticipation at the beginning of a great match whether it will be a quick contest or a marathon.

Easy solutions; faster conditions. Then the time wasting will stop too, as players won't need massive rests between points.

It is not perhaps such a problem for us here on 606v2 who are on the whole keen tennis fans. It is a problem for those selling the sport. TV schedules run to fixed times. It's not that easy to slot in a tennis match that could last an hour or could last six. Exceptions can always be made for marathon slam finals but it may be more difficult to sell the case for the more run of the mill quarter final.

Like it or not there will be some pressure to tamper with the game. I think I could make a good case for not doing so but money (and that's what its about) talks... Maybe when we have a less interesting top three the pressure to change will be greater.

It is simple really....they need to speed up the courts in general.
However, I dont think will cut as much time as people think....I believe that if you put Nadal and Djokovic on Teflon coated courts they'll still be having 20+ shot ralleys given their athleticism, strings, training, etc....and will still be asking for more recovery time on some points.

I don't see this as a huge problem for TV. You just need a red button or a BBC4 type channel for overflow. The only concession I would make is a tiebreak at 9-9 or 19-19 in the 5th, although it's a minor point.

It's more of an issue when there is a last train.

Even with football there is extra time and penalties in some matches, which actually adds a whole hour, or very nearly.