International Tennis Federation deems Olympics rules alteration – Tennis News
Olympics are a tournament that is added to the usual schedule of tennis events after a gap of four years.
Over the course of year, players contest regularly in different tournaments and an addition of another huge competition increases the pressure especially on the Top-10 lot.
For that very reason, several inquiries are being made by the International Tennis Federation to revise the format of matches at the Olympics. It will ease pressure on the players and allow them to conserve some energy for the rest of the season.
The major changes that are under consideration include:
Adding a third-set tiebreaker rule because the length of some matches exceeds the expectations. One example of this scenario was witnessed in the contest between the number one Frenchman, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and the Croatian tennis ace, Milos Raonic. Both
players contested 48 games in the final set with Tsonga winning the clash 6-3, 3-6, 25-23.
Removing the Bronze Medal contest and award two medals to those players who lose in the semi-finals of the contest. It will avoid the two disheartened players to save the hassle of contesting another match for the third place. This year, the reigning world
number one, Novak Djokovic, was so tired from the routine play that he couldn’t beat the former US Open Champion, Juan Martin del Potro, in the Bronze Medal contest. If the new rule was put into action in this edition of Olympics, Djokovic and Del Potro would
have been awarded Bronze Medals without a third place clash.
This year, Olympics were held in London. The 17-time Grand Slam Champion, Roger Federer, began his hunt for the maiden singles Gold Medal of his career at London and reached the final at the All England Lawn Tennis Club. On the other hand, it was the motivated
25-year-old Briton, Andy Murray, who never tasted the victory in a Grand Slam event.
Both of them were the finalist at Wimbledon Championships as well and Federer was the one who reigned supreme over the number one Scot at that time. However, the tables were turned upon the Swiss Maestro by the local hero who clinched the Gold Medal at Olympics.
Tags: