Everything you need to know about tennis tie-breaks.
“Play the big points well” is a common mantra in tennis, emphasizing the need for players to be at their best during the most crucial moments.
Tie breaks have historically been where some of Tennis’ greatest matches have been decided, making them not only important but a tantalizing spectacle
After hours of intense rallies and momentum swings, a match can boil down to just a few key points.
These high-stakes scenarios are seen as mini-matches within the match, offering some of the most thrilling moments in the sport. The game’s top players often excel in tie-breaks, showcasing their mental fortitude and clutch performance.
Tie-break rules have evolved over the years to keep pace with the changing dynamics of tennis.
RadioTimes.com explains how tie-breaks work and why they’re becoming even more prominent in Grand Slam tournaments.
What is a tie-break in tennis?
The formula is simple. A tie-break is a one-off game held to decide the winner of a set when two players are locked at 6-6.
This mini match is a simple first-to-seven-points shoot-out, with the winner being the first player to hit that magic number.
However, if the players involved in the tie-break are locked at six points apiece, then the tie-break continues until one player achieves a two-point lead to win the tie-break and the set.
Why does tennis have tie-breaks?
In short, tie-breaks are important to cap the length of a match, but they haven’t always been a thing.
Cast your mind back to Wimbledon 2010, when the longest match of all time lasted 11 hours and five minutes. It ran over three days, with 138 games occurring in the final set.
This match, among others, also led to tennis adopting the tie-break in the final sets of Grand Slams. Up until 2018, a tie-break would only be used during matches and not as a tool to help it conclude in final sets. But that has changed.
Final set tie-break rules
Tie-breaks that decide matches at Grand Slams follow the same format as traditional tie-breaks but run up to 10 points with the ‘win by two’ rule still in place.
This is designed to help both players and fans, by protecting players from long, gruelling encounters during a Grand Slam fortnight and providing more concentrated moments of excitement for fans.
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