The 25-Second Clock is Coming to Australia in January
The serve clock is coming to Australia. The tournament announced a sweeping set of new rules for the event in 2019, including a 25-second clock for servers for the first time.The Australian Open has also announced record prize money for the 2019 event, as well as a new and improved Heat Stress Index to replace the Extreme Heat Policy, which has come under fire in year’s past.Other changes include Hawk-Eye electronic line calling on all play courts and an increase in the size of the women’s singles qualifying draw to 128 from 96, to match the men’s singles qualifying size.
“We’ve always prided ourselves on listening to the players, and this year we’ve taken our consultation to a whole new level,” Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said on Monday. “Our team has spent a lot of time this year talking to players, coaches and their teams about what’s important to them, what they like and what changes they want to see. From these discussions, held at tournaments around the world, we’ve come up with some changes we know the players want, including the serve clock and electronic review on all match courts, making conditions more consistent across the precinct.”The tournament also announced that there would be no change to 16 seeds for the men’s and women’s singles draw—32 seeds are still in play.On-court coaching for qualifying and junior events, will also be in play for the tournament, which begins on January 14.Here is a list of all the changes we can look forward to in 2019. ]]>Some notable changes for 2019 at @AustralianOpen32 seeds, increased women’s qualifying draw, 25-second clock, heat stress rule and more. pic.twitter.com/dhtvK5KF9S
— TennisNow (@Tennis_Now) October 9, 2018
