From Makarska to the World: Time Tennis is unveiled
- by croatiaweek
- in Sport
Time Tennis is unveiled in Makarska last night (Photo credit: Pirka Visual Studio)
Makarska, October 14, 2023 – “I have never had such a great time at a tennis match, thank you for that,” said Dea Herdzelas, the best Bosnian-Herzegovinian tennis player, after her team, the Makarska Sharks, defeated the Kaštela Knights in a never-before-seen way of playing tennis.
Time Tennis, a global brand and revolution in the world of sports, was launched last night from the Makarska Tennis Centre amidst a great atmosphere, top-notch names, and Hari Rončević, who warmed up the enthusiastic crowd with a concert before the exhibition matches. The entertainment continued after the matches with a performance by Klapa Cambi.
Alongside Dea Herdzelas, the Makarska Sharks team included Italian Giovanni Oradini, local player Mariana Dražić, Duje Kekez, with Marcos Baghdatis, the Cypriot and husband of former Croatian star Karolina Šprem, as the coach.
(Photo credit: Pirka Visual Studio)
(Photo credit: Pirka Visual Studio)
On the other side of the net, the Kaštela Knigtsa team was led by the most famous Kaštelan tennis player Tena Lukas, accompanied by the Briton Marcus Willis, the Frenchwoman Emmanuelle Girard, Croatian wheelchair representative Sven Maretić, led by coach Franko Škugor.
(Photo credit: Pirka Visual Studio)
(Photo credit: Pirka Visual Studio)
Four matches were played: Herdzelas against Lukas, where the Bosnian-Herzegovinian player prevailed (41:29); in the second match, Oradini defeated Willis (43:38); in mixed doubles, Dražić/Kekez and Girard/Willis of Kaštela won (41:47), while Kekez triumphed in the duel with Maretić (12:6).
(Photo credit: Pirka Visual Studio)
The exhibition matches lasted twenty minutes, divided into two halves of ten minutes each, with a two-minute break. Each coach was entitled to a 60-second time out per half, and they could be on the court at any time, with players able to communicate with each other. There were no chairs for the main referee, and the most attractive aspect was that the audience cheered throughout, encouraged by two brass bands, one from Makarska and the HGD Biranj from Kaštel Lukšić.
(Photo credit: Pirka Visual Studio)
There were no games or sets; in Time Tennis, points were counted one by one, with a winner counting for two points. In each half, dancers from the Split club Dance Crew United performed like cheerleaders. In short, it was a true spectacle witnessed by around 500 fans from the entire Dalmatia region.
(Photo credit: Pirka Visual Studio)
Among them was the renowned tennis figure Ivan Dodig. He came to support Time Tennis, which was backed by Feliks Lukas from Kaštela, known to the public as the director of the WTA tournament.
“The time for changes in tennis is coming, and I am especially glad that my dear friend Feliks came up with this idea and that we saw how it would look in Makarska. The game is beautiful, attractive, dynamic, interesting, and surely has the potential in the world of tennis. It is known that older generations follow tennis, with an average age of over 60, so this faster and more explosive approach to competition has potential and will surely attract a younger audience. Of course, tradition should be preserved, but I am convinced that the new rules will resonate in the world of sports,” emphasised Dodig.
Ivan Dodig and Feliks Lukas (Photo credit: Pirka Visual Studio)
“I would like to thank Ivan, who came to support us, as well as all the athletes who announced this event on social media, and there were indeed many of them. A big thank you to the female and male players who participated in the exhibition, as well as to the audience who came in impressive numbers even though they didn’t know what to expect. They were great fans and put on a top-notch show. In little Makarska, a different kind of tennis was played for the first time in history. We presented the world with new rules, and there’s no turning back. We have been working on this project for years and believe in it,” Lukas stated.
Feliks Lukas (Photo credit: Pirka Visual Studio)
Ivan Dodig, Feliks Lukas and Željko Dodig (Photo credit: Pirka Visual Studio)
The fact that interest had already been aroused was confirmed by the filming of the first shots for a documentary by the Hollywood production company Mandalay Sports Media, known for the legendary film “The Last Dance” about the Chicago Bulls.
(Photo credit: Pirka Visual Studio)
(Photo credit: Pirka Visual Studio)
Among the spectators were world-renowned photographer Matt Holyoak, Thomas Bata, the great-grandson of the founder of Bata and the factory in Borovo, Mike Saran, the owner of the Le Meriden Lav hotel in Split and the founder of the Sport2Life foundation.
