The ATP's "flagship season-ending tournament" for top-ranked tennis players aged 21 or under will feature "revolutionary new rules including short sets, shot clocks and no lets," according to Martyn Herman of REUTERS. Milan, Italy, will host the inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals in November and the men's governing body will use it to "showcase a range of innovations designed to appeal to a younger audience." The "most significant change" will be to the scoring system, with matches being played over best-of-five-sets with first to four games instead of the usual six. Tiebreaks will be played at 3-3 and there will be a sudden-death point at deuce. Other changes include "shorter warm-ups and the strict enforcement of the 25-seconds between points rule using a clock." Service net cords will count as "legitimate serves." Players will also be able to communicate with their coaches at "certain times during the match" (REUTERS, 5/16). The BBC reported the ATP said that the aim of the changes was designed to create a "high-tempo, cutting-edge, and TV-friendly product." It wants to "attract new and younger fans into into the sport, while at the same time retaining the sport's traditional fan base." ATP President Chris Kermode said, "We're excited to be bringing something new to the table with this event. This event is not only about the next generation of players, but also about the next generation of fans" (BBC, 5/16).
