Tennis-Fast formats gain traction as Tie Break Tens lights up Indian Wells

By Shrivathsa Sridhar

BENGALURU, March 7 (Reuters) - Short-format tennis events such as the Tie Break Tens at Indian Wells can complement the traditional game by offering a quicker, high-intensity spectacle for modern audiences, British coach Jamie Delgado said.

The mixed doubles curtain raiser for the combined ATP and WTA tournament was played in a packed stadium in the Californian desert this week, with Taylor Fritz and Elena Rybakina defending their Eisenhower Cup title and pocketing the $200,000 prize.

Launched in 2015, Tie Break Tens is built around the premise that every match is a tiebreak and the first to 10 points with a margin of two wins. Leading names like Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams and Rafa Nadal have all previously played in it.

Its success reflects a broader trend across tennis, where innovative formats like the Tie Break Tens, the MGM Slam, the Ultimate Tennis Showdown league, and Tennis Australia's Fast4 and One Point Slam have gained traction with fans.

"Tie Break Tens was the first one, I think, of the fast-format tennis events and since then we've had a few creep in as well, but it's a good thing," Delgado, the former coach of Andy Murray and current mentor of Jack Draper, told Reuters.

"It's not something that's trying to replace traditional tennis, the long matches and normal scorelines. I love the way the sport works in that sense.

"But it's a great addition to events."

NON-STOP ACTION

Fritz said that fans were treated to non-stop action while the players felt the energy building in between matches.

"Every point matters," Fritz added. "It's great to see the format growing, because it shows how tennis can keep evolving while staying true to what makes it great."

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) in September named Tie Break Tens as its short-format partner, with the recognition understood to potentially allow the format to be included in the Olympics alongside standard tennis in future.

"Our focus is on putting as many rackets in as many hands as possible," added Luca Santilli, the executive director of tennis development at the ITF.

"We want more people to play tennis in more places, more often. We are open to exploring new ways to do that and this partnership with Tie Break Tens is an exciting step for us."

Delgado said the format also served a practical purpose for players during busy tournament weeks.

"It was a full stadium (this week). It's totally like a match situation. So yes, it gets you ready for the big points," he added.

"It's also getting players time on big match courts, because often in these tournaments, it's difficult to get practice there with so many players. So this is a way of playing competitive tennis and you get practice on the court."