French open tennis

[Donny]

What are the differences, K ?

[K]

Donny, I'll have to look up the exact specifications, but roughly it goes like this:

The French Open has no tiebreak in the 5th set, so it can just keep on going and going.

Wimbledon caved a couple of years back after another marathon match involving Kevin Anderson and the guy who always gets involved in this sort of thing, John Isner, leaving Anderson too exhausted to be anything but road-kill in the showcase match that was his reward for winning. They switched to a tiebreak.

That now makes three Slams with tiebreaks. But they are three different tiebreaks! i.e. the exact number of points is different. (That's where I'd need to look up the details.)

[K]

"The French Open DOES NOT have a fifth set tie-break.

Following a change of the rules at Wimbledon, Roland Garros is now the only tournament where play continues until one player wins by two clear games.
...

As of 2019, each Grand Slam has a different method of deciding the fifth set.

At Wimbledon, a tie-break is only used when the score reaches 12-12.

But in the French Open players are still required to play out the set until there is a winner by two clear games.

In the US Open, a tie-break has been used to decide matches since 1970.

The Australian Open also has a fifth set tie-break, but players must reach ten points rather than seven to win."

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/8189445/us-open-fifth-set-tie-break-djokovic-tsitsipas/

[K]

19 Oct 2018:

"Wimbledon has finally bowed to pressure from players, coaches and pundits to introduce a final-set tie-break – but it will only kick in when the score reaches 12-12.
...

Wimbledon said its decision was informed by talking to players and conducting a “thorough review” of match data from the past two decades.
...

The AELTC chairman, Philip Brook, defended the decision not to introduce a final-set tie-break at 6-6, which happens in most tournaments, saying: “While we know the instances of matches extending deep into the final set are rare, we feel that a tie-break at 12-12 strikes an equitable balance between allowing players ample opportunity to complete the match to advantage, while also providing certainty that the match will reach a conclusion in an acceptable timeframe.”"

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/oct/19/wimbledon-fifth-set-tie-break-tennis


21 Dec 2018:

"The Australian Open has followed Wimbledon by introducing final-set tie-breaks for matches at next month’s tournament.

But, while Wimbledon will have a standard first-to-seven-points tie-break at 12-12, Australian Open matches which go the distance will be decided by a first-to-10-points tie-break at 6-6.

The US Open was the first grand slam to introduce final-set tie-breaks, with a first-to-seven-points game played at 6-6, meaning the three tournaments will all use a different format. The French Open is now the only slam to use a long deciding set."

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/dec/21/australian-open-brings-in-final-set-tie-breaks-for-2019-tournament-tennis

[Donny]

Thanks, K.