Beginning to play tennis or any other new sport can be a little too much to handle at first. Tennis has a very different way of scoring than other sports, commentators refer to events as sets and tiebreakers, and you may have heard a player say, “I have a three-set match today,” or “That match goes to a tiebreak.”
A match is a complete and formal tennis competition between a singles or doubles game that starts at the first point played and ends when one player or team wins based on the specified amount of sets. While the word “matches” may be used by players to describe short-lived workouts or practice sessions, in organized fields of play (that is, leagues, tournaments, and school competitions) a “match” represents an individual unit that is played out physically until a winner is decided.
There are three basic concepts that serve as the foundation for all tennis organizations throughout the world: scoring system, organizational structure, and competition format. Below we dive further into what a match is so you can play with confidence because you have knowledge of how to keep score and how matches and tournaments are organized.
How a Match Is Structured
You should consider when playing tennis that there are three levels of scoring in tennis: points, games, and sets.
First: Points
Points mark the completion of a rally. After you earn enough points, you win a game. Games come together to create sets. After winning enough sets, you win the match.
Second: Games
As a result, when commenting about the score in tennis, it is helpful to specify the particular area of scoring you are referring to, that is, point score, game score, or set score. In doing so, you make the tennis match easier to follow.
Third: Sets
In tennis, each final score is shown in sets, such as 6 to 4, 3 to 6, 6 to 2, so it represents the total number of games won in each set rather than the total number of points won in a match.
Points & Games in Everyday Language
In tennis, points end the current rally when one player wins by causing their opponent to return an incorrectly hit ball out, by making a winning shot, or by hitting a shot that the opponent does not return into the playable area. Aside from winning with frequent winners, many players win rallies by outlasting an opponent through depth and consistent play at a higher level than their opponent.
A player must win at least four points and must win by a minimum two-point difference. When a player reaches 40 to 40 in tennis, the score is known as deuce. To win the game from this point on, he needs to get a two-point advantage over his opponent.
Keeping your focus is critical when playing at this level because if you lose a point during deuce, and the other player wins, the outcome of the entire match changes (i.e., the winner gains a large advantage; the losing player loses all momentum). Serving is important because you serve throughout an entire game, and the serving player does not serve again until the next game starts. As a result, players often use the terms hold to win a game as server and break to win a game as receiver.
What a Set Is & How It Ends
The winner of a set needs to win six games with at least a two-game lead. For this reason, you often see scores of 6 to 2 or 6 to 4 in tennis matches. If a player brings both players to five matches won, then either player has to win the next two matches consecutively to win the set 7 to 5. In most formats, 6 to 6 is the point at which a tiebreak occurs, and the winner of that tiebreak receives credit for a set win 7 to 6.
How You Win the Match
To be declared the winner of a tennis match, you must win a sufficient number of sets based on the rules governing the type of match: best two out of three sets or best three out of five sets. The most common tournament formats use one or both of these rules. You can record more total points and still lose the match by winning fewer sets than your opponent.
Common Format Variations You’ll See
Different types of facilities use many different formats to manage time, fatigue, and scheduling. In most match formats, tie-breaks are played to six games: the winner of the tie-breaker is declared the winner. In addition to having a two-game lead after reaching six games won, the winner has to win by at least two points.
Certain leagues and some doubles matches now replace the third set with a tiebreak also known as a super tiebreak that concludes the match once one player or team has won 10 points with a minimum two-point margin to victory. In some formats, they do not have no ad scoring applied. This means that the player or team who wins the next point after being tied at deuce is declared the winner of the game. This speeds up the pace of play and makes getting the next point much more meaningful at deuce.
Certain differences of clinics and teams may impose a specified time limit for playing matches. However, all matches still constitute an actual match, and the winner of the match is determined at the same time as the last call is made by the referee. The winner of any match after the end of the time period is based only upon the total number of games played before the end of the time period and in accordance with local community standards.
It is imperative that you establish and clarify your format before getting into the match so that both of you know what to expect and there is no confusion when the match starts.
Team Matches vs. Individual Matches
The term match in team tennis has two meanings, one being an individual match whether it is doubles or singles. The other meaning refers to a meet, or an entire league meet, that consists of many individual matches played on several courts. Example: Our school won the match four to one. The meaning depends upon context; however, every now and then it may be hard for people who are just getting started in this sport to understand you.
Quick Pre-Match Checks
Understanding how many sets there are in any given match, whether there is a tiebreak at 6 to 6 and how long that tiebreak is if it exists, and what format is used for the final set is very important to know. If there is any no-ad scoring or time limits associated with the match, that information also prevents many scoring disputes.
Learn to Play Tennis at Basha Tennis in Mountlake Terrace Today!
A player gets enough sets to be able to win the match under whatever format has been agreed upon before play begins for that particular league or competition. Now that you have separated your point scoring from your actual game and set scoring, you can easily tell how many points you score from league to league and tournament to tournament.
You can receive tennis instruction, including the fundamentals of scoring, beginner shots, and footwork, by scheduling a lesson with Basha Tennis. If you are located in Mountlake Terrace, visit our facility today to view it, as well as meet our coaching team. We offer tennis instruction through either private or group lesson formats that are differentiated by age, junior and adult.
Whether you are a beginner, advanced player, and/or in between, you will find the quality coaching that you require for improving your tennis. For more information about tennis, please take a look at our website’s blog or glossary to get started!