What is a Tie Break in Tennis?
A tie break is an additional game that is played when the score in a set reaches six games all. A tie break game is won by the player who first obtains a minimum of seven points, with a two point margin over his opponent. It is also known as the seven-point tie break or set tie break.
Tie break is an important part of the scoring system in the game of tennis. It is used to decide the winner of a set when the players are tied at 6-6. The tie break is an extra game that is played in addition to the regular six games. The player who wins the tie break wins the set.
History of the Tie Break in Tennis
Tie break was first used in professional tennis in 1971 at the Davis Cup match between the United States and Romania. It was introduced by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) in 1973 and has been in use since then.
The tie break was introduced to reduce the number of long sets. Before its introduction, players would have to play many long games to decide the winner of a set. This was particularly tiresome for the players and the audience. The introduction of the tie break made it easier to decide a set in a timely manner.
Rules of the Tie Break in Tennis
The rules of the tie break are simple and straightforward. The tie break is the last game of a set and is played until one player has reached at least 7 points and has a two-point advantage over his opponent.
The player who serves first in the tie break is decided by a coin toss. The server then serves two consecutive points and then the players take turns to serve two points each. The points are counted in the usual way and the player who first reaches 7 points and has a two-point advantage over his opponent wins the tie break.
In the event of a tie at 6-6 in the tie break, a sudden death point is played. The player who wins the sudden death point wins the tie break and the set.
Tie Break Scoring System
The standard tie break scoring system is as follows:
- 0-0: The first point is served by the player who won the coin toss.
- 0-1, 1-1, 2-2, 3-3, 4-4, 5-5: The players take turns to serve two points.
- 6-6: A sudden death point is played.
- 7-6, 8-6, 9-7: The player who reaches 7 points and has a two-point advantage over his opponent wins the tie break and the set.
Benefits of the Tie Break
The tie break has many benefits. It is used to decide a set in a timely manner and prevents long sets that can be tiresome for the players and the audience. It also makes the game more exciting and adds an element of suspense.
The tie break is also used to bring the players to an equal footing in a set. It prevents one player from dominating the set and makes it more competitive.
Drawbacks of the Tie Break
The tie break has its drawbacks as well. It can be very stressful for the players as it can come down to the last point. The sudden death point in particular can be nerve-wracking for the players.
The tie break also makes it harder for players to come back from being behind in a set. It can be disheartening for players when they are down in the score and have to win multiple consecutive points in order to win the set.
Variations of the Tie Break
The tie break is used in different variations in different tournaments. In some tournaments, the tie break is played till 10 points instead of 7 and the sudden death point is played at 9-9. In some tournaments, the tie break is played in the third set instead of the first two.
Conclusion
The tie break is an important part of the game of tennis. It is used to decide the winner of a set when the players are tied at 6-6. The tie break is played until one player has obtained at least 7 points and has a two-point advantage over his opponent. The tie break has many benefits and makes the game more exciting and competitive. However, it can also be very stressful for the players and can make it harder for them to come back from being behind in a set.