Super tiebreak

A super tie break is a regular tiebreaker in tennis, but played to 10 points instead of 7. It’s usually played in place of a full 3rd set when the opponents each win 1 of the first two set (known as splitting sets).

Super tie breakers are also called:

• ten point tie breaks;
• match tie breaks.

Traditional tie breaks are played where players switch every 6 points.

However in doubles, sometimes players or tournaments will use a coman tie breaker. In a coman tie breaker, players switch after the 1st point, and then every 4 points. This allows the players to serve on the same side they have been using for the previous set.

Specific rules must be followed, and the player or doubles team who wins the super tiebreaker wins the match.

When a super tiebreaker is used as the final set, the original order of service continues. Before the start, though, doubles teams can change their order of serving and receiving, and this order remains until the end of the tiebreaker.

The player or team whose turn it is to serve, serves the first point of the tiebreaker. The next two points are then served by the opposing player or team. From then on each player or team alternates serving two points until the end of the tiebreaker.

Players change ends of the court after the first point and then after every six points. An approved alternative, which is fairer especially when playing in extreme weather conditions such as wind and sun, is to switch after the first point and then after every four points.

Points are simply scored 1, 2, 3, 4 and so on. The first player or team to win 10 points by a two-point margin wins the match. If the score in the match tiebreaker becomes tied at 10 points, play continues until a player or team has a two-point lead.