Borg vs. McEnroe in 1980; Federer vs. Nadal in 2008. No matter what side you come down on in the “greatest match of all time” debate, we can all agree that the fourth-set tiebreakers in those classic contests heightened the drama at the All England Club to legendary levels.
But even in matches not destined for the annals of tennis, on the pro tours and at your local court, the tiebreaker adds an element of suspense and importance. Each point is valuable, an undisputed step closer to victory.
Simply put, the tiebreaker is what all of the serves, forehands and backhands struck over the previous 12 games boils down to.
That said, tennis matches aren’t guaranteed to feature a tiebreaker—and even when they do come to pass, it takes an inordinate amount of time before players and fans reach the set’s climax.
That is, unless you’re watching Tie Break Tens.
This breakthrough format, which began last year in London’s Royal Albert Hall, continues this Sunday in Vienna, Austria. Andy Murray, runner-up at the debut of Tie Break Tens, will return alongside Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Tommy Haas, Wimbledon sensation Marcus Willis, Goran Ivanisevic and rising star Dominic Thiem, with $250,000 on the line.
Tie Break Tens begins with six players split into two groups for round-robin play. The top two finishers from each group advance to single-elimination semifinals, with the winners meeting in the final and the losers playing for third place. In all, ten 10-point tiebreakers are contested in this fast-paced and exciting mode of play.
Last year, Kyle Edmund lost his first tiebreaker match to Murray, 10-7. But he would exact revenge in the final, claiming the grand prize in front of a supportive British crowd:
For more information on this year’s Tie Break Tens in Vienna—which will be broadcast live and replayed on this page—go to tiebreaktens.com.
