10 point tie breaker USTA in place of 3rd set

[recreationalplayer]

I think there are two primary reasons for 3rd set TBs.

The first is in some areas, matches are played at facilities that have fixed court times, some as short as 75 minutes but 90 minutes is common. If you are lucky you have 2 hours. In all of these cases, a 3rd set TB increases the chances the match can be completed and you can avoid conflict with the following court reservation or having to deal with scheduling a time to complete the match, or worse, having timed-matches that require strange rules for determining the winner including resorting to sudden death points.

The other is that USTA League is dealing with a wide array of players with different abilities and fitness, and it is likely that for some (many?) playing a full 3rd set is considered too taxing. So this format increases the number of players who can compete without running into fitness issues.

I personally dislike 3rd set TBs and think fitness should be a part of it and a full 3 sets is not unreasonable, but do understand the points above, particularly the first.

Note that I believe that sections/districts/areas have the option for their regulations to say to play a 3rd set, or have it be an option the players/captains can agree to, but TennisLink requires the 3rd set be entered as 1-0 or 0-1 so there is no easy way to know if a full 3rd set was played.

I don't think anyone into tennis likes a 10pt TB. But we are stuck w/it and moving the matches along is, I believe, the primary reason, IMO a 15pt tie break would be preferable. If USTA ever goes to no add scoring as a regular format I'm done w/USTA.

 

[kingcheetah]

I have seen set tanking in tournaments. I remember a mens open I was playing, I was up against a big server, 4-5. He put together some good serves, took the set 7-5. I got up early in the second, he started pushing serves, 6-0. He took it in the breaker 10-7, but a 3rd set likely would've been a different story.

 

[zipplock]

I don't think anyone into tennis likes a 10pt TB. But we are stuck w/it and moving the matches along is, I believe, the primary reason, IMO a 15pt tie break would be preferable. If USTA ever goes to no add scoring as a regular format I'm done w/USTA.

Agreed

 

[Chalkdust]

I have seen set tanking in tournaments. I remember a mens open I was playing, I was up against a big server, 4-5. He put together some good serves, took the set 7-5. I got up early in the second, he started pushing serves, 6-0. He took it in the breaker 10-7, but a 3rd set likely would've been a different story.

I've actually done exactly that myself. A few years ago, playing a 4.5 league match against an opponent about 25 years younger than me. I won the first set 7-6 but was gassed. Got broken first game of the second and then I basically threw the second set away. Got just enough of a second wind to squeak out the match TB. I would have been toast in a third set. Felt bad for my opponent but I don't make the rules.

 

[Slowtwitcher]

I've actually done exactly that myself. A few years ago, playing a 4.5 league match against an opponent about 25 years younger than me. I won the first set 7-6 but was gassed. Got broken first game of the second and then I basically threw the second set away. Got just enough of a second wind to squeak out the match TB. I would have been toast in a third set. Felt bad for my opponent but I don't make the rules.

You see this in ATP doubles all the time. If a team wins the first set and are down a break in the second, it's just better to tank 2nd set and focus on the tie-break.

 

[socallefty]

I've actually done exactly that myself. A few years ago, playing a 4.5 league match against an opponent about 25 years younger than me. I won the first set 7-6 but was gassed. Got broken first game of the second and then I basically threw the second set away. Got just enough of a second wind to squeak out the match TB. I would have been toast in a third set. Felt bad for my opponent but I don't make the rules.

So, you had more confidence that you could win the 10-point TB rather than break him back once to even the second set? Unusual strategy to tank that early in a set.

 

[Chalkdust]

So, you had more confidence that you could win the 10-point TB rather than break him back once to even the second set? Unusual strategy to tank that early in a set.

Absolutely. I was completely gassed at that point. I gave it all I had to close out the first set and had nothing left. My opponent was a big hitter and I was doing a lot of retrieving. My only chance was to get a second wind and maintain it for long enough to win the match TB, and that's exactly what ended up happening.

 

[Dartagnan64]

I don't think anyone into tennis likes a 10pt TB. But we are stuck w/it and moving the matches along is, I believe, the primary reason, IMO a 15pt tie break would be preferable. If USTA ever goes to no add scoring as a regular format I'm done w/USTA.

Lots of older out of shape guys like 10 pt tiebreakers. Usually big hitters.

 

[socallefty]

The only time I dread the 10-point TB is if I’m playing doubles, my team loses the 2nd set and my partner has been playing so bad in the 2nd set that he is starting to feel like the worst player on court (as shown by body language). This is usually a recipe for a loss as the tiebreaker happens too quickly to snap him out of his defeatist mentality. In a 3rd set, there’s more time to encourage him and get him out of his mental funk especially if I’m one of the stronger players amongst the other three.

If someone is not feeling confident without the attitude that they deserve to win the match, they likely will lose the match TB.