Rio Open introduces an interesting feature for 2019 edition
Implemented as the testing ground in the qualifications of 2017 US Open, the shot clock has found its place among the tennis rules and it will become a mandatory feature of every Masters 1000 event in 2019 and also on the entire Tour from 2020. The sixth edition of the Rio Open, the biggest tournament in South America, will take place between February 18-24 and it will use this new feature as the first ATP 500 event, in both the main and qualifying draw. This year, the organizers introduced hawk-eye technology and they offered the fans a chance to explore the additional options and find out more about match tactics and shots direction and depth.
The defending champion Diego Schwartzman and 2017 winner Dominic Thiem will lead the field together with Fabio Fognini in two months time and it should be interesting to see more names revealed in the following weeks. Rafael Nadal claimed the first edition of this tournament back in 2014 and it was David Ferrer who replaced him as the champion a year later, with Pablo Cuevas going all the way in 2015. The event will take place at the Jockey Club Brasileiro and it will serve as one of the first opportunities for clay-courters to earn valuable points in 2019 after the initial hard court swing.
"The shot clock was a well-received innovation among the tournaments and players, and we will adopt it before it is mandatory in the ATP 500s. Besides guaranteeing that the time rule is enforced, it also provides an entertainment value to the fans, because they get excited expecting whether the player will stay on time or not", said Luiz Carvalho, Tournament Director. "I hope the ATP manages to continue to bring new things that make the matches even more interesting for sports fans".
from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2LokMXC
No comments