Unlike a regular tennis game, the first server in a tiebreaker will only serve one point. In normal tennis games, only one person serves throughout the game.
If the score is four to three, then you would change servers because the total number of points is seven, an odd number. If the score is four to two, then the server would have one more serve because the total number of points is six, an even number.
An easy way to remember this is that every even point will be served from the advantage side of the court. For example, if the score is four to three and you are serving the eighth point in the game, then you will serve it from the left side of the court. [3] X Research source
Every time you serve an odd point, you will serve it from the right side of the court. For example, if the score is three to three and you are serving the seventh point in the game, then you will serve it from the right side of the court.
In normal tennis games you would switch sides after the first game, the third game, the fifth game and after any other odd numbered games.
If the score is five to one, then the total score of the game is six and the players would have to alternate sides. Some examples of disadvantage you may have on a particular side of a court include: the glare from the sun, the wind blowing in your face and the blinding lights at the venue.
In normal tennis games, the side switch occurs at the beginning of a new game so there is always a new server.
Most professional organizations worldwide don’t allow tiebreakers to be played in the final set of a match so there will always be a new set after a tiebreaker. The U. S. Tennis Association is one of the only worldwide tennis organizations that does allow tiebreakers to be played in the final set of a match.
In a normal tennis game points are counted as: love (zero), 15 (one), 30 (two) and 40 (three). In a tiebreaker points are simply counted as: one, two, three, four and so on.
If the score is seven to six, the player with six points has one more chance to even the score up.
For example: If both you and your opponent are right handed, then it would be safer to serve the ball down the middle of the court so they’d have to return it using their backhand. However, they might be caught off guard if you serve towards their stronger forehand. [8] X Research source Tiebreakers are often decided by mental errors. Force your opponent to make mistakes by making it impossible for them to know where you’ll hit the ball next.
Do mirror drills. One partner runs up court, down court and shuffles side to side while calling out where they’re moving. A partner on the other end of the court does their best to mirror the first partners motions. If the first partner says “left” then he’d shuffle to the left of the court and the other partner would shuffle to his right. Switch partners after sixty seconds and do this drill at least five times. Do side to side drills. A feeder hits one ball to the left side of the court, one to the middle, one to the right and then back again. A runner tries to chase down and return each ball. Each player should be runner for about five minutes. The feeder should have quite a few extra balls so the drill can run smoothly.
