In tennis, what is the term for a 7-6 set usually decided by?
VerifiedAnswer: Tie-break
Explanation:
A tie-break is a special scoring system used in tennis to decide a set when both players reach 6 games each. When the score reaches 6-6 in a set, instead of continuing to play regular games until one player leads by two games, a tie-break is played to determine the winner of that set. The final score of such a set appears as 7-6, with the winner being whoever wins the tie-break.
During a tie-break, players use a different scoring system than regular tennis scoring. Instead of the traditional 15-30-40 system, points are counted numerically: 1, 2, 3, 4, and so on. The first player to reach 7 points wins the tie-break, but they must win by at least 2 points. If the score reaches 6-6 in the tie-break, play continues until one player achieves a 2-point lead.
The serving pattern in a tie-break is unique. The player whose turn it is to serve when the score reaches 6-6 serves the first point. After that, players alternate serving every two points. For example, if Player A serves the first point, then Player B serves points 2 and 3, Player A serves points 4 and 5, and this pattern continues throughout the tie-break.
Tie-breaks were introduced to tennis in the 1970s to prevent sets from going on indefinitely. Before tie-breaks existed, players had to continue playing games until someone achieved a 2-game lead, which could theoretically go on forever. The tie-break system ensures that matches have a more predictable duration while still maintaining competitive fairness.
It's worth noting that tie-breaks are used in most professional tournaments for the first four sets of a match. However, in the final set (fifth set in men's Grand Slams, third set in women's matches), different tournaments may have varying rules. Some use tie-breaks, while others require players to win by two games, and some use a special tie-break when the final set reaches a certain score like 12-12.
