"Advantage Agassi" may well become a phrase of the past if new experimental rules introduced by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) become permanently incorporated into tennis after an initial two-year trial period.

Irish players could well become the first to experience the changes, which are designed to make the game more exciting following the perception that interest in tennis, particularly the men's game, is slipping.

The Pamela Scott Irish Indoor Championships which begin in Riverview, Dublin, on December 27th will incorporate the rule changes. Throughout the Irish tournament officials will incorporate the system, which effectively abolishes the advantage rule. Umpires will also be instructed to scrap the "Let" call.

The No-Ad system simply removes the traditional sequence of scoring once both players have won three points each i.e. arrive at deuce. Rather than then scoring the game advantage to the player who wins the next point, one deciding point will be played whereby the receiver shall choose whether to receive the service from the right half of the court or the left half of the court. The player who wins this point wins the game.

The ITF also propose to remove the "Let" call. This means that the receiver of a serve will attempt to make a return even if the ball touches the net during the service provided the serve lands correctly in the service box. The point is played in exactly the same way as if a ball touches the net during a rally.

The procedure will apply for doubles matches but in mixed doubles the rule differs. At deuce, with the male player serving, he shall serve to the male player of the opposing team irrespective of which half of the court he is standing. When the female player is serving she shall serve to the female player of the opposing team.

The change to the advantage rule hopes to introduce a sudden death feel to the game. The "Let" call has been seen as unnecessary and it is argued serves only to slow down the action.

The changes will come into use on January 1st, 1999, but because the Indoor National Championships begin in December and run into January they are regarded as a 1999 tournament.

"We will probably be among the first to implement these rules. Whether any or all can start as soon as we can I doubt," said Des Allen chief executive of Tennis Ireland.

"There has already been experimentation of the abolition of `Let' and advantage in collegiate teams in America and this has been seen as successful."

Over 45,000 members in 220 affiliated clubs will take part in the trials in Ireland and combined with figures from those who participate in parks tennis and in casual games, the number could rise to as many as 150,000. It has been suggested by the American experimentation that the changes will not significantly advantage either the server or receiver but will be spread evenly between both sides.