Stuttgart, Germany — In a press conference held in Stuttgart with WTA president Stacey Allaster, Svetlana Kuznetsova, her coach Stefan Ortega, and Porsche Tennis Grand Prix director Markus Guenthardt, the WTA Tour wanted to give some information concerning possible new rules.
To enhance women’s tennis as a more spectacular sport, the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour came up with reviewing the suggested changes in rules and regulations during the matches. Some of the new rules implemented will probably include: on court coaching, playing a round robin competition, pre-match interviews with the players on court, coaches’ interviews during matches, microphones on umpire chairs and the electronic line-calling also known as Hawk Eye.
With the introduction of "on court coaching" at The Rogers Cup in Montreal and the Pilot Pen in New Haven, the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour is hoping to bring more for the tennis fans. They are trying to make the players more accessible for fans and show the role coaches’ play for the players. "On court coaching" might be requested during a set break, a medical time-out or during toilet breaks.
Svetlana Kuznetsova said that she would welcome any change to uplift the game of tennis in competition with the other sports. She is very much in favour of "on court coaching" and the use of "Hawk Eye". “It helps me to tell me how to play when I ask for the coach, I wouldn’t mind seeing more changes in women’s tennis," she said. "Hawk Eye was also working very well for me when I tried it at Montreal and New Haven.”
As Kuznetsova’s coach, Stefan Ortega said about on court coaching: ”It makes my job easier and it’s better for the players and the audience seems to like it.”
The introduction of a round robin competition during the tournaments is also being looked at as a possibility to enhance the game of tennis. The audience will be able to see more of the big players if they play more matches, as is done with the round robin competitions, where players at least play three times. The draws will have fewer players, though, if round robins are going to happen.
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