Tennis Rules and Ten Point Tiebreakers

The rules of tennis include different forms of tiebreakers, which are used when a set or match ends with the players unable to achieve a decisive lead. Tiebreakers were devised to bring about an orderly finish to close matches, which under traditional rules could go on indefinitely while both players attempted to achieve the standard two-game lead needed to win a set. Among these regulations are the 10-point tiebreaker, one of the most exciting components of any closely fought contest on the court.

  1. Set Tiebreaker

    • The most familiar tiebreaker in tennis is a set tiebreaker, which is played when the players end a set tied at six games apiece. The set tiebreaker consists of a series of single points. It ends when a player reaches seven points, and is leading by at least two points over his opponent. If the player reaching seven has a margin of just one point, play continues until the two-point margin is achieved.

    Match Tiebreaker

    • The 10-point tiebreaker is also known as the "super tiebreaker." It is often used as a match tiebreaker, which is played to determine the match winner after both players have won a single set (in best-of-three matches), or two sets apiece (in five-set matches). The super tiebreaker is played to 10 points, instead of seven, and is won by the first player reaching a score of 10 with at least a two-point margin. Match tiebreakers have been adopted by several tournaments for doubles play, but most major tournaments still require doubles and singles players to play the final set in the conventional manner.

    Service Rules

    • The player who served the last game of the set prior to the tiebreaker receives service at the start of the tiebreaker. At some levels, a coin is tossed to determine who has service for the first point. The first player serves a single point, then players serve two points apiece, alternating between forehand ("deuce") and backhand ("advantage") courts. After six points are decided, the players change sides of the tennis court.

    The Super-Tiebreaker Controversy

    • The replacement of third or fifth sets with "super tiebreakers" has raised considerable controversy among tennis players and aficionados. Many believe that at the highest professional levels of tennis, matches shouldn't be artificially shortened to suit the demands of television coverage or the whims of impatient spectators. But super tiebreakers can also result in marathons, such as the 2010 Wimbledon match between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut, who played a final 70-68 set to decide a contest after 11 hours, five minutes of play.