Navigation for News Categories
Sport
2 May 2024
9:42 am on 2 May 2024
Jamie Murray (L) of Great Britian and Michael Venus of New Zealand during the 2023 ASB Classic tournament. Photo: Photosport
A faster men's doubles format, with greater focus on matches between singles players and established doubles teams, is being trialled at the Madrid Open.
Teams are allowed just 15 - rather than the usual 25 - seconds between points after rallies up to three shots, and only 60 seconds to sit down at the change of ends. Five rounds will be played in five days.
New Zealand player Michael Venus and his British partner Jamie Murray beat Denis Shapovalov and Alexander Bublik in the first round.
Murray likes the shortened changeovers and the tournament being spread over such a short period, but is not a fan of the reduced time between some points, the BBC reported.
"I feel like it's very rushed," the seven-time Grand Slam champion said after the match.
"Fifteen seconds for doubles is very short. In singles you are playing a lot on instinct, but in doubles there's a lot more strategy to start the points, and to lose that communication with your partner I don't think is a good thing for the sport."
Murray would also like to see more social media promotion of doubles, to attract new fans to the game.
"The social media side of things is just an absolute zero," he said.
"I wrote to ATP Media last year after Miami and I basically counted all the posts that they had done across Indian Wells and Miami, and it was like 1% of their total posts [were about doubles]."
"For me, it's a shootout, which is kind of exciting. Once we get going - bang, this is on," said Matt Ebden, the current doubles world number one and president of the ATP Player Council.
"People like seeing the volleys, the return winners, the angles and all the reactions, but there is a bit too much dead time.
"We just looked at how we can keep the game flowing to make it a better product for the fans ultimately."
Those supporters will be able to move freely around the stadium during points.
The trial will continue at future tournaments, although not necessarily always in the second week in the space of just five days.
Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas were among seven top-20 singles players to enter the event.
- RNZ / BBC
Related Stories
- Venus wins Geneva Open doubles in ideal grand slam warmup
Venus wins Geneva Open doubles in ideal grand slam warmup
28 May 2023
Michael Venus has warmed up for the French Open in spectacular style by winning the Geneva Open alongside British doubles partner Jamie Murray.
- Michael Venus beaten in Roland Garros final
Michael Venus beaten in Roland Garros final
9 Jun 2023
Michael Venus and his Canadian partner Bianca Andreescu have been beaten in the final of the mixed doubles at the French Open in Paris.
- From a 'party' court to new stars, Australian Open serves up plenty to savour
From a 'party' court to new stars, Australian Open serves up plenty to savour
29 Jan 2024
While some rookies grabbed the spotlight in Melbourne, it was also a tournament in which veterans showed experience was invaluable in the doubles competition, Dave Worsley writes.
Sport
- Conor McGregor getting back in the cage - but is it for the last time?
- ANZ Premiership 2025 cut to two rounds as Netball NZ sign one-year extension with Sky
- 'It's up to me to pick him' - Scott Robertson weighs in on Sam Cane's All Black future
Top News stories
- Doubts about value, results from charter schools - education figures
- Court clears way for NZTA to acquire land for Mt Messenger bypass project
- Young Indo-Fijians yearn to know more about the girmit era
- Watch: Mata - Whānau Ora chair 'devastated' by section 7AA repeal
- University of Canterbury students say residence halls not serving enough food
Live sport
We have regular online commentary of local and international sport.