USTA to Utilize Serve Clock

September 3, 2016 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff

The USTA has announced that it will utilize a serve clock for the first time at the 2016 U.S. Open, timing how long servers take between points during the U.S. Open Junior Championships and the American Collegiate Invitational.

The serve clocks will be used to objectively assess time violations, and any subsequent discipline, which are currently assessed at the discretion of the chair umpire for any given match. Twenty seconds between points is currently allowed for Grand Slam matches.

Two serve clocks will be utilized on the scoreboards for each junior and collegiate match. The chair umpire will control the shot clock and start it after the score of the previous point has been registered.

“We’re going to try out the serve clock. We are not changing the rules, but we are testing the technology and getting the umpires and players used to it,” said Stacey Allaster, chief executive of professional tennis for the USTA. “We can use the events as incubators for innovation.”


Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
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