Over the years I have seen two major problems develop in tennis. Firstly, with the advent of new technology enabling faster serves, there is too great an advantage for the server and too much emphasis on holding and breaking serves. Aces are too common and the server can force the receiver almost off the court with a wide serve. A solution to this problem could result from making the service court narrower, initially by 2 feet I suggest. So two additional lines would be required 2 feet inside the singles lines and ending at the service lines. The service lines themselves would be 4 feet shorter ending at the above new lines.
Secondly, when five set matches became too long, the tie break game was introduced, but it only applies to the first four sets, not the fifth which is still an advantage set. For a three set match only the third set is an advantage set. The effect of having three different levels of scoring (points, games and sets) as well as variable tie break rules is that there is a lot of potential inequity in the end result. A player can win fewer points and even fewer games than an opponent and yet still win the match. The sets become all important, and yet in a tie break it takes only three points to go from set point for Player A to Player B winning the set. A bad line call could alter the result of the whole match. Why have such a system? In a game like basketball it is sufficient to count only points. This could be done in tennis too, but it may seem too great a change. So what I suggest is removing the sets and leaving just points and longer games. This is explained on the scoring page.
I believe I am the first to suggest this (in January 2008) and I claim copyright and seek an appropriate royalty payment from any organisation wishing to use my suggestions for profit. Please email me to negotiate such.
