Introducing Thirty30 (T30) ‘Big Smash’ mixed gender Team Tennis - shorter, faster-paced match format
Andy Murray has said tennis is "missing a trick" by not including more team events involving both men and women.
"I think sports miss a bit of a trick with this stuff," Murray said, who was taking part in the Battle of the Brits Team Tennis exhibition featuring male and female players.
"The Hopman Cup, for example, was a brilliant event in my opinion. The players enjoyed it. I played there a bunch of times and I loved it."
Thirty30 (T30) ‘Big Smash’ mixed gender Team Tennis is the younger sibling of cricket’s Twenty20 (T20) ‘Big Bash' Leagues and provides an alternative mixed gender team match format to The Hopman Cup.
Teams consist of two women (or girls) and two men (or boys) playing a total of five sets on one court over 2.5 hours.
Thirty30 'Big Smash' mixed gender Team Tennis is a unique combination of:
- the shorter faster-paced Thirty30 scoring method where every game played starts at 30-30,
- the World Team Tennis (WTT) match format - five sets of women's and men's singles and doubles and mixed doubles,
and
- the Laver Cup's progressive match scoring method - one point for each of the doubles matches, two points for each of the singles matches and three points for the final mixed doubles match - a total of nine points to be played for and a drawn match is not possible.
A 'fantasy' Scotland v England match is illustrated above.
The full set of Rules are detailed below.
Thirty30 ‘Big Smash’ Team Tennis
Rules & Regulations
Teams
Teams are mixed-gender and consist of two Women and two Men.
Order of Play (similar to World Team Tennis)
Women’s Doubles, Men’s Doubles, Women’s Singles, Men’s Singles & Mixed Doubles
A Match consists of five Sets and is completed in around 2.5 hours.
Scoring in a Game
In Thirty30 ‘Big Smash’ Team Tennis, Thirty30 tennis scoring is used - All ‘SHORT’ Games start from 30-30, announced “thirty-thirty” and the deuce / advantage points are played as per traditional tennis scoring – the ‘No Ad’ Rule is NOT USED.
Score in a Set
A Match consists of five Sets, which includes one ‘Tie-Break Set’ of Men’s and Women’s Singles and Doubles, and one ‘Advantage Set’ of Mixed Doubles.
Each ‘Tie-Break Set’ is won by the first Team to win six games (lead by two Games). A Nine-Point ‘Short Set Tie-Break’ will be played at six games all.
The ‘Advantage Set’ is won by the first Team to win six Games (lead by 2 Games) – no ‘Tie-Break’ is played.
Nine-Point Short Set Tie-Break
A Nine-Point ‘Short Set Tie-Break’ will be played at six games all in the ‘Tie-Break Sets’.
The person who is to serve next begins the Tie-Break by serving for only one point from the deuce court followed by each player serving two points in succession starting from the advantage court.
The first team (or person) to score five points wins the Tie-Break.
If the Tie-Break reaches 4-4, the person who served the eighth point serves the ninth (final) point.
The winner of the ninth point is the winner of the Set.
Note: The ‘Nine-Point Short Set Tie-Break’ CAN be won by one point, 5-4.
Score in a Match (Uses ‘progressive’ scoring similar to The Laver Cup)
The Women’s and Men’s Doubles Sets are both worth one Point to the winning Team.
The Women’s and Men’s Singles Sets are both worth two Points to the winning Team.
The (final) Mixed Doubles Set is worth three Points to the winning Team.
The winner of the Match will be the Team that wins the most Points.
There are a total of nine Points to be played for and a tied Match is not possible.
Change of Ends
In each Set, change of ends is after the first two games and then every four after that.
In the ‘Short Set Tie-Break’, change of ends is after the first four points.
Order of Service
Teams shall alternate who serves first at the start of each Set.
The Service Let
The “No Let” Rule is NOT USED. Lets shall be played as per traditional tennis.
Download: "13. Thirty30 'Big Smash' Team Tennis - Rules & Regulations"
Example Illustration
Thirty30 Big Smash Team Tennis - Scotland v England - Order of Play
T30 Big Smash Team Tennis - Scotland v England – Scoresheet
Thirty30 Tennis - Have You Tried It Yet?
www.thirty30tennis.com
