Australian Open set to follow Wimbledon’s lead with final-set tie-breakers

Australian Open
Australian Open Melbourne Park

The Australian Open looks set to become the next Grand Slam to introduce final-set tie-breakers on the back of Kevin Anderson and John Isner’s epic Wimbledon semi-final.

Anderson and Isner slugged it out for six hours and 36 minutes at SW19 earlier this year with the South African emerging victorious after taking the final set 26-24.

Many players and commentators called for change and the All England Lawn Tennis Club eventually gave in as announced that as of next year the final set will go to a tie-breaker once the scores hit 12-12.

And it looks like the Australian Open will follow suit as Tennis Australia has been given permission by the Grand Slam Board to make the tweak to the rule.

However, it will be different to the Wimbledon change as play will go straight to the tie-breaker once the scores are 6-6 in the final set, which is the same rule that applies at the US Open.

The Telegraph, though, reports that “just to add an extra variation, the tie-break will be the slightly expanded first-to-ten-points version used on the doubles tour, rather than the old-fashioned first-to-seven”.

Should the change be implemented it will leave Roland Garros as the only Grand Slam that doesn’t use tie-breakers in the final set.

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