The Roar
The Roar

Advertisement

Team Australia vs Team World: Fast4 tennis live scores, blog

8th January, 2018
Start time: 7:30pm (AEDT)
Venue: Ken Rosewall Arena, New South Wales Tennis Centre
TV: Live, Channel 7
Online: Live, 7Tennis

Australia
Lleyton Hewitt
Nick Kyrgios

World
Alexander Zverev
Grigor Dimitrov

Match 1: Nick Kyrgios vs Alexander Zverev
Match 2: Lleyton Hewitt vs Grigor Dimitrov
Match 3: Nick Kyrgios and Lleyton Hewitt vs Alexander Zverev and Grigor Dimitrov
Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios is seen during practice at Pat Rafter Arena in Brisbane, Wednesday, December 20, 2017. Kyrgios will compete in the Brisbane International tournament which runs from December 31 to January 7.
Expert
8th January, 2018
241
3336 Reads

Australian legend Lleyton Hewitt teams with Nick Kyrgios as they take on two of the best young talents in tennis, Alexander Zverev and Grigor Dimtirov at the 2018 Fast 4 showdown. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 7:30pm (AEDT).

Match Results

Team Australia 1 defeated by Team World 2.

Match 1: Alexander Zverev (World) defeat Nick Kyrgios (Australia) 4-3, 1-4, (5-1)
Zverev took the first match for the world. He won a dominant first set, but then Kyrgios took over completely, winning the second set 4-1.

The Aussie played a shocking tie-breaker though, losing a point on serve and wasn’t able to recover.

Match 2: Grigor Dimitrov (World) defeat Lleyton Hewitt (Australia) 4-1, 4-2
Dimitrov was too good for Hewitt in the second rubber. The Aussie fought hard, saving the match more than once, but wasn’t able to play at the level of Dimitrov in the end – which isn’t surprising given how long he has been retired for.

Match 3: Nick Kyrgios and Lleyton Hewitt (Australia) defeat Alexander Zverev and Grigor Dimitrov 4-1, 2-4 (5-3)
Australia picked up a consolation victory in the doubles. In a match full of fun, Kyrgios and Hewitt got off to a fast start, before they fell away in the second. They bounced back to win the tie-breaker though, Dimitrov finishing the match off with a double fault.

Preview

Advertisement

The Fast4 event in Sydney has fast become a permanent fixture in the Australian summer of tennis. First played in 2015, last year’s event attracted a sellout crowd at the ICC Theatre in Sydney.

Moved to the Ken Rosewall Arena at the New South Wales Tennis Centre this year, it’ll be another chance to see the exhibition tournament’s evolution.

A set in Fast4 tennis is won by the player winning four games first. If it gets to three games all, a nine-point tie-breaker is used to decide the set, meaning the first to five wins.

There are also no deuces in scoring and no ‘must win by two’ rule in tie-breakers, with deciding points used instead.

Let serves are also played throughout the match, at times creating impossible angles for a return, with the whole idea being to speed up the match.

This particular exhibition tournament will be played in the format of two singles matches followed by doubles if needed.

For Australia, Nick Kyrgios and Lleyton Hewitt are teaming up. Kyrgios is fresh off victory at the Brisbane International where the 22-year-old won his fourth ATP career title.

Advertisement

While he has been battling with a knee injury, it doesn’t appear to be affecting his movement, with his booming serve enough to see him come back from a set down three times, before dominating American Ryan Harrison in the final last night.

Kyrgios has flown to Sydney today, joining one of Australia’s greatest ever. Hewitt won two grand slam titles and even at 36 years of age was competitive alongside Jordan Thompson in doubles at the Brisbane International last week.

Whether he can compete with Alexander Zverev or Grigor Dimitrov – both ranked in the top four – is another question all together.

Dimitrov was one of the victims of Kyrgios in Brisbane, losing a tough semi-final. He was simply unable to contend with the serve or returning positions, despite winning the first set and looking in good form.

Zverev as well will be chasing another tune up ahead of the Australian Open. The German, rated as one of the best young prospects in the sport was in fine form at the Hopman Cup before suffering successive losses to Australian Thanaski Kokkinakis and Australian Open favourite Roger Federer.

Prediction
The format suits Kyrgios, even with a leg injury, while Hewitt will compete as he always does. Zverev’s form has been inconsistent in Perth and Dimitrov is coming off a loss to Kyrgios.

If it gets to doubles, Australia are favourites.

Advertisement

Australia.

Be sure to join The Roar for live coverage of the 2018 Fast4 showdown from 7:30pm (AEDT) and don’t forget to add a comment in the section below.

close