Fast4

Fast4 is a shortened match format developed by Tennis Australia and widely adopted by the LTA and other national governing bodies. It applies four simple rule changes that dramatically reduce match duration without fundamentally altering the game. A typical Fast4 match takes 30-50 minutes compared to 90+ minutes for a traditional best-of-3. It's now the standard short-match format for UK club tournaments and is ideal for events where court time is limited.

• First to 4 games wins the set (not 6).
• Tiebreak at 3 games all. A standard 7-point tiebreak is played (first to 7, 2 clear at 6-6). Some variants use a 5-point tiebreak with sudden death at 4-4.
• No-advantage scoring. At deuce (40-40), the next point wins the game. The receiver chooses which side to receive on.
• No service lets. If the serve clips the net and lands in the service box, play continues. (Note: the LTA's 2021 rules updated this to play lets normally - check your governing body's current stance.)
• Matches are typically best of 2 Fast4 sets, with a 10-point match tiebreak (first to 10, 2 clear at 9-9) if sets are split 1-1.

1. Communicate the rules clearly before the event. Many club players are unfamiliar with Fast4.
2. Print a rules summary card for each court.
3. Schedule 30-minute slots per match (or 50 minutes for best-of-3 Fast4 sets).
4. Clarify the let rule - this varies between governing bodies and is a common source of confusion.
5. Use Fast4 within any tournament format - it works with knockouts, round robins, box leagues, etc.

Any tournament where you need shorter matches - evening events, multi-round one-day events, junior tournaments, or whenever court time is limited.

• The no-ad deuce rule adds tension and unpredictability, which some competitive players dislike.
• Service lets (or no-lets) remain controversial. Establish the rule clearly beforehand.
• Fast4 works particularly well with knockout and compass draw formats where players need to play multiple matches in a day.