The Tennis Australia national governing body has held talks with domestic commercial broadcasters Seven and Nine over the potential staging of a new ‘Fast 4’ team tournament in Sydney.
Fairfax Media said that the governing body would like to stage an event that is similar in format to the Hopman Cup indoor competition, which takes place in Perth on an annual basis.
The new tournament would take place every second year and could launch as early as 2017.
According to a Tennis Australia official, the organisation has been in discussions with a number of broadcasters in the country regarding preparations and support for the proposed competition. The event is also said to have attracted interest from broadcasters overseas.
“We are in conversations with the major networks to be part of a major Fast 4 tournament with the biggest stars in the world,” the Tennis Australia official told Fairfax Media. “It's unlikely to fit into the January schedule but we are looking at other times of the year to stage the tournament.”
The Fast 4 format features varied rules from traditional tennis, including shorter sets.