How many times have you played a tiebreaker after which everyone tries to figure out who gets to serve at the beginning of the next set? And from which side?
Maybe this has never happened to you. Maybe in every match you've played, everyone knows the rule. But I've played in plenty where the question has come up – most recently in a Girls 16s SuperChamps (and they should know) (and I was officiating, not playing) (as if). So here's the answer once and for all.
- Who gets to serve after the tiebreaker?
Think of the tiebreaker as a game. Before the tiebreaker, you're tied at 6-all (or in a pro set, you might be tied 8-all, or 11-all, whatever). After the tiebreaker, the score for the set is now 7-6. So the tiebreaker is the 13th game of the set. This means that whoever served the first serve of the tiebreaker, gets credit for serving this 13th game. So the serve for the next set passes to the other player or team. Get it?
In other words, in singles, if I served the first serve of the tiebreaker, you get to serve to start out the next set, even if somehow you had the last serve of the tiebreaker. I started the tiebreaker game so now its your turn to serve.
- From which side do you serve after a tiebreaker?
Following the logic above, the tiebreaker is the 13th game and that means when its finished, since its an odd game, players need to switch sides no matter which side they started the tiebreaker from.
To sum it up – as long as you remember that the tiebreaker counts as a game and the server for that game is the first person who served in the tiebreaker, you should be able to figure out who serves after the tiebreaker and from where.
© Kim Selzman 2012 All Rights Reserved
I looked up these rules on USTA websites and you change sides at the end of the tiebreak no matter which end you finish the tiebreak because that is the end of that game. You change sides after every odd games. I’m confused
Sorry if I wasn’t clear. The tiebreak counts as the 13th game of a set. So if I am the first server in the tiebreak game, it counts as my service game. My opponent will be the first server of the first game in the next set no matter what – even if my opponent had the last serve in my tiebreak game. That’s because the serve passes after every game.
As far as changing sides – again, the tiebreak counts as the 13th game of a set. If I am the first server in the tiebreak game and I serve on the East side of the court (or whatever side, East side is just for example), when we start the next set, the serve passes to my opponent and we “switch” sides, because the tiebreak was an odd game, so that my opponent now starts on the East side. Even if that means we don’t actually switch sides because of whatever happened in the tiebreak game.
As long as you count the tiebreak game as the 13th game of the set, you should be able to figure out who serves next and from which side. I hope that clarifies it a little better.
Kim
Scott is right, Kim. At the end of the tiebreak, the players change
sides. It does not matter on which end they started the tie-break. The rule and explanation is found in USTA Friend at Court:
USTA Comment 5.7: “When do the players change ends? Players
change ends after every six points and at the end of the Tiebreak.
See Rule 10. They must change sides during the Tiebreak without
any break or delay.”
USTA Rule 10: “The players shall change ends at the end of the first, third and every subsequent odd game of each set. The players shall also change ends at the end of each set unless the total number of games in that set is even, in which case the players change ends at the end of the first game of the next set. . . . ”
USTA Comment 10.1: “Do the players change ends after a 7-Point Tiebreak is played to decide a set? Yes.”
I agree – I just look at it as the tiebreaker is the 13th game and that’s an odd game. You always change ends after an odd game so you would always change ends after a tiebreaker.
I believe she was debating one of your last comments… “If I am the first server in the tiebreak game and I serve on the East side of the court (or whatever side, East side is just for example), when we start the next set, the serve passes to my opponent and we “switch” sides, because the tiebreak was an odd game, so that my opponent now starts on the East side. (Even if that means we don’t actually switch sides because of whatever happened in the tiebreak game.)”
The parenthesis part is the debate. If the person who received the first serve of the tiebreak ends the set (tiebreaker) on the East side, THEN they HAVE to switch to and serve from the West side for the first game of the next set. Correct?
Dead on.
“The tiebreak counts as the 13th game of a set…” – Great!
“…whoever served the first serve of the tiebreaker, gets credit for serving this 13th game…” – Excellent!
These are the two points that always trip me up. I wonder whether or not we swap sides after a Set Tiebreak and whose turn it will be to serve to start the next set. Now I will wonder no more. Thanks, Kim, Love it!
Yes, you swap sides after the last point of the tiebreak, no matter what side you started on in the tiebreak.
It look like you changed your “side” in this argument by end of discussion.
Your early answer says that the receiver from the first point serves and they serve from the end that the server served from on the first point – as stated in your first answer – that would require remembering where we started!!
However the USTA rule is clear and simple – you switch ends after the last point on the TB
NB
To quote your first answer: ” Even if that means we don’t actually switch sides because of whatever happened in the tiebreak game. ” – We do ‘actualy’ and always switch sides at end of TB
You’re absolutely right. I have corrected this post to reflect what the rules say. Sorry for the confusion.