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(CNN)It may sound like a Vin Diesel movie, but tennis authorities in Australia are hoping the FAST4 format, which begins Monday with an exhibition match between world No. 2 Roger Federer and the former Wimbledon and US Open champion Lleyton Hewitt debuted the format could “revolutionize” sport.
That competition ended in the Swiss star’s favour, who defeated his old friend and rival 4-3 2-3 3-4 4-0 4-3 at the Qantas Credit Union Arena in Sydney.
Marking some of the most important rule changes in the history of the sport, this new version of tennis consists of best-of-three sets with quick changes and sudden-death playoffs to prevent tiebreaks from dragging on. The first player after four games wins the set.
“Playing against Roger in this new format will be an exciting challenge and a lot of fun for both of us,” said Hewitt before the game.
“This is a fantastic innovation for tennis that I hope will catch on.”
The Australian roadshow will next move to Melbourne, where Spanish superstar Rafael Nadal will take on three opponents in separate matches on Wednesday.
He will first face off against former US Open finalist Mark Philippoussis before taking on current US Open junior champion Omar Jasika and finally a best-of-five match against compatriot Fernando Verdasco.
New game, new rules
Touted as the tennis answer to Cricket’s TV-friendly Twenty20, the two formats share more than a memorable branding approach.
Both take a fast-paced approach to sports that, to the uninitiated, might be considered soporific. Cricket traditionally takes five days to play a Test international and men’s singles can take hours or, in some rare cases, days.
Players also need to hurry during end substitutions as there are no sitting breaks and they have just under 90 seconds to sit between sets.
A few more fundamental rule changes, including the removal of the let-serve rule – which requires a server to repeat his serve if the ball hits the net – and the removal of the advantage point.
In FAST4, the receiving player can choose which side to serve – for a sudden death “power” point – on two.
Faster, shinier tennis
FAST4 promises to offer some of the extravagance and glamor that some, apart from the majors, are obviously missing from the sport.
Proponents hope the shortened timeframe – each set said to last no more than 15 minutes, with matches typically lasting not much more than an hour – will allow a greater number of people to find the time to play tennis.
“The new format is game-changing and set to revolutionize the game of tennis, particularly at the club and community level,” said Craig Tiley, Chief Executive Officer of Tennis Australia.
“Time is precious today and this new fast format is perfect for any player looking to fit their tennis matches into a busy lifestyle.”
Craig Morris, Tennis Australia High Performance Coach, added: “Our long-term goal in developing a product like FAST4 Tennis is to get more people into the sport and get more people playing tennis.
“There is no plan to replace traditional tennis, this is a great complementary product that will be entertaining and fun for fans.”
It’s not the only innovation the sport is playing on.
The International Premier Tennis League, “the world’s first urban professional league played in four countries,” debuted in November 2014.
Read: 1000th win for Roger Federer
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