Over the Easter weekend, I played in the HTA/RBC Wealth Management Houston Open. As my opponent and I were handed the balls, the tournament desk informed us we would play a standard tie-break game at 6-6. It was a surprising stipulation as this was a 5.0 division match and the Coman format is generally used for NTRP divisions. At the time, I didn’t think it mattered one way or the other. In retrospect, I was wrong.
It was a tremendously windy day. Additionally, one end also played directly into a very tough mid-day sun. As the first set progressed, it became apparent that we could each only consistently win points and games with the wind and sun behind us. Inevitably, we wound up 6-6 and headed into a tie-breaker.
I had the good fortune to play the first six points on the favorable side. I built a 5-1 advantage before we switched ends. That allowed me to play all the ensuing points with the knowledge that my opponent probably felt like she couldn’t afford to lose a single point. Her play was understandably constrained, while I enjoyed the freedom to swing a little more aggressively. I didn’t lose another point, walking away with a 7-1 score in the breaker.
I don’t think the advantage would have been as pronounced had we been playing the Coman. In fact, when I first wrote about that tie-break format in “Closing out the Tie-Breaker” that post cited a point originally made in an informational page published by USTA Florida. The more frequent change of ends in the Coman avoids dramatic advantage swings due to the elements.
Some people object to the Coman for singles due to the frequent change of ends. However, since players are not allowed to sit down or pause for anything other than a quick hydration sip, I don’t see that as a huge factor. If players dawdle, that is an officiating issue rather than a tie-break format problem.
The injustice of the way the elements swayed our match could have been worse. Had we reached another 6-6 impasse in the second set, I would have enjoyed the exact same advantage in the ensuing tie-breaker. Mercifully, I scored a “break” of the side and carried the set without that necessity.
When I turned in the score, the desk told me our match lasted 2 hours and 45 minutes. Since we were slated to play a full third set, had we split, we probably would have topped the four-hour mark. I’m not sure my conditioning would have carried me through much more than what we played.
Even though I ultimately prevailed, this match still illustrates how the Coman tie-break game is more fair under extreme conditions. The elements can significantly impact the points played, and the limited change of ends in the traditional format can provide one player with a decisive edge.
While some may argue that frequent end changes disrupt the game’s rhythm, the benefits of minimizing environmental advantages outweigh this concern. Consequently, I have become an advocate for the universal adoption of the Coman tie-break game in tennis. It is the best way to ensure that the outcome of a match is determined more by skill and strategy than by external factors.
I have Refereed at many seniors tournaments with 5 year age categories from 45 in singles and doubles and to avoid confusion with players, officials and spectators have standardized on using the Coman process in singles and doubles. Singles players often question the use of Coman – but are usually assuaged when it is explained it is for consistency. It is one less thing to remember!
Also a huge fan of the Coman! After practicing them for nationals and then playing them at nationals, I can’t believe my section doesn’t do them for anything. There was a doubles matches we may have lost at mixed nationals if we weren’t doing Coman because the wind was awful.
I totally agree! I thought USTA used Coman exclusively for leagues?
Great point! Another disadvantage of the Standard tie break is the switch itself. The server has to serve their first point on one side and there second point on the opposite side. Not as big an issue as the one in this article, but definitely a rhythm issue and only happens in standard tie break.