I was watching the ATP Delray, Florida tournament yesterday and young American Sam Querry was playing a third set tiebreaker against an 18-year-old Japanese qualifier. The announcer (Leif Shiras?) said they would “play a 12-point tiebreakerâ€, as compared to the 10-point, third set tiebreaker the Bryan brothers had just won earlier in the same day there. My questions…
- Why is it a “12-point tiebreaker†when very few of them actually end up with one player having 7 and the other 5?
- And if you want to treat it that way, why isn’t the other one then “an 18-point tiebreaker�
- Better that they should both be simply called “the 7-point and 10-point tiebreakers.â€
- On the scoring, why can’t the announcers call the “break†during the tiebreaker not a flimsy-sounding “mini-breakâ€; but call it a “point break†(as compared to a “game breakâ€)?
- And lastly, how come there hasn’t been more acceptance in doubles of using the newer Kommen (sp?) tiebreak rotation, where you change sides on four points, with all servers still serving on the same sun side they served the whole match?
- Joel Drucker, you know important tennis people, why don’t you speak to them? Heck, Joel, you ARE “important tennis people,†why don’t you start a Revolution?!
- Pretty heated stuff for a Sunday morning, huh?
P.S. Young Sam Querry was the #3 seed at this tournament and let four match points during the tiebreaker slip through his hands and lost the chance to get into his first ATP final.
George, my opinions. The 12 point tiebreaker: theorectically most set tiebreakers should end at 7-5 as all should “hold serve” most of the time. The “super-tiebreaker” (played in lieu of a third set) , as originally called, now called a “match”or “championship”, tiebreaker shouldn’t be called a “ten point tiebreaker” as very few of them are scored 10-0, just as a set tiebreaker shouldn’t be called a “seven point tiebreaker”. Regarding the coman, to be really fair, everyone should have to serve on both sides of the net if a set reaches 6-6 in games, and prove they all can deal with the sun and wind, even if they were smart enough, or lucky enough to do otherwise during the set( a lefty-righty team for example ) where neither had to serve into the sun during the first twelve games. A true test in my opinion.
George: i cannot argue with you on the nomenclature; but do disagree on which rotation is used. Forcing the server to switch sides during the tiebreaker would be like saying when a team started serving the second set they HAD to switch serving sides; just so they could prove the other guy could serve into the sun.
Geo: It’s called the Coman , after this REALLY old umpire in La Jolla… John Coman is well deserving of the honor… As for umpires in general: At the Cape Coral tourney 5 or 6 weeks ago, they printed up about 20 or so collared shirts & gave them to members , who were as good or better [mostly MUCH better] than ANY of the paid officials we’ve seen in Florida { or California for that matter…]. We can analyze the reasons, but I would sure give it a try if I were in charge…
Bob – thanks for the background on Mr. Coman, one of your favorite (only favorite?) umpire.