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It is 6-6. How does the tie-break work?
Six all means a tie-break: first to seven points, win by two.
The set has reached six games all. What decides it?
Six all means a tie-break: first to seven points, win by two.
Why
At six games all, the set is decided by a tie-break: the first pair to seven points with a lead of two wins it, seven-six in games. The player due to serve serves the first point, then service changes every two points, and ends change every six points. In a tie-break every point starts from zero pressure, there is no game score to hide behind, which is why the pair that serves simply and takes the net wins far more of them than the pair that tries to hit winners.
What this means at your level
Beginner
In a tie-break do the boring thing on every point: serve into the box, lob deep, take the net together.
Intermediate
Play the first two points of the tie-break as if they are match point. Getting to 2-0 changes how the other pair hits everything after.
Advanced
Decide the serving order for the tie-break before you get there, so the pair who serves first is the one with the better first-point serve.
Common questions
The set has reached six games all. What decides it?
A tie-break: first to seven points, two clear. Six all means a tie-break: first to seven points, win by two. At six games all, the set is decided by a tie-break: the first pair to seven points with a lead of two wins it, seven-six in games. The player due to serve serves the first point, then service changes every two points, and ends change every six points. In a tie-break every point starts from zero pressure, there is no game score to hide behind, which is why the pair that serves simply and takes the net wins far more of them than the pair that tries to hit winners.
Why not you keep playing games until somebody leads by two?
That is the advantage-set format, used only where a tournament specifically says so. The default is a tie-break.
What should a beginner do here?
In a tie-break do the boring thing on every point: serve into the box, lob deep, take the net together.
How does this change for an advanced player?
Decide the serving order for the tie-break before you get there, so the pair who serves first is the one with the better first-point serve.
What do the rules say?
At six games all a tie-break is played. The first pair to seven points with a two-point lead wins the set. Service changes every two points after the first; ends change every six points.
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