SYDNEY, January 6, 2018 (Press Release)
Australia’s Davis Cup Captain Lleyton Hewitt (SA) will team with Nick Kyrgios (ACT) to take on Grigor Dimitrov (BLR) and Alexander Zverev (GER), in the 2018 instalment of the FAST4 Showdown, when the innovative event returns to Sydney for the fourth consecutive year on Monday night.
The FAST4 Showdown, which has attracted sell-out crowds each year, will be held for the first time at Ken Rosewall Arena at Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre on Monday 8 January 2018 during the Sydney International.
One of the greatest Davis Cup competitors of all time, Hewitt is a passionate exponent of team tennis formats and says he’s looking forward to taking to the court with world No.21 ranked compatriot Kyrgios.
“Nick is one of the most exciting players in the world right now and we’ve all seen how he thrives in team tennis scenarios,” said Hewitt. “There’s nothing quite like playing a night match on a big stadium in front of a passionate crowd. Alexander and Grigor will be formidable opponents on the FAST4 court but I’m hoping the fans will come out in force on Monday night to cheer us on.”
Kyrgios said he is looking forward to facing world No.3 Dimitrov and world No.4 Zverev, two of his friends on the men’s tour, across the net for the FAST4 Showdown.
“The level of play was really high last year, and I’m expecting it to go to an even higher level with guys like Dimitrov and Zverev competing,” said Kyrgios, who beat world No.1 Rafael Nadal at the 2017 edition of the FAST4 Showdown.
“FAST4 is fast, exciting and brings big points early which is fun to play and fun for the crowd,” said Kyrgios. “I really enjoy the atmosphere when I play in front of a big crowd, so playing on Ken Rosewall Arena will really fun.”
Tennis NSW CEO and Sydney International Tournament Director Lawrence Robertson said fans are in for a treat when the FAST4 Showdown hits Ken Rosewall Arena at Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre for the first time.
“The FAST4 Showdown is a fantastic addition to our overall offering here at the Sydney International,” said Robertson. “We’re looking forward to a fantastically competitive week of tennis and, with Lleyton teaming up with Nick against Alex and Grigor, we can look forward to a night of FAST4 fun on Monday.”
“We really welcome and appreciate the support we’ve had from Destination NSW. We’ve worked closely together on the evolution of FAST4 and making the event part of the Sydney International is the next step for us in our journey with them.”
NSW Minister for Tourism and Major Events Adam Marshall said the NSW Government is proud to support the FAST4 Showdown via its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW, and to once again welcome some of the game’s best to compete in Sydney.
“This year’s event will be the fourth consecutive year Sydney has hosted the exciting FAST4 Showdown, reinforcing Sydney’s position as the international home of FAST4 Tennis and Australia’s number one city for tourism and major events.
“Along with the Sydney International tennis tournament, Sydney is the place to be for sports fans this Summer, with a stellar line-up of events including Test and limited-overs international cricket, the Sydney Rugby Sevens, and an historic rugby league double header featuring Wigan Warriors and Hull FC.”
FAST4 Tennis is a modified tennis format launched globally in Sydney in 2015 by Roger Federer and Lleyton Hewitt. The fundamentals of the game remain the same with four innovative rules to ensure tennis matches are fast, competitive, exciting and can be completed in a short period of time. Players play lets, no ad scoring, a tiebreak is played at three games all and the first to four games wins.
Tickets for FAST4 Showdown are available via Ticketek. Adult prices start at $39 and $10 for children. Family passes start at $88.
