Longest tiebreaker in tennis

Several tiebreaks have been attributed as the longest tiebreak in tennis.

Men's singles

Overall

In January 2013 at the $10,000 Men's Futures tournament qualifications at Plantation, Florida, Benjamin Balleret defeated Guillaume Couillard in a 70-point tiebreak 7–6^(36–34), 6–1. The match was played without any chair umpire or any lines people, so no official record of this tiebreaker exists. Both players were part of the Monaco Davis cup team.^[1] The longest official tiebreak was played on 23 January 2016 at the $25,000 Men's Futures tournament, Kazakhstan F1, at Aktobe when Evgeny Tyurnev defeated Danilo Petrović 7–6^(25–23), 6–3 in the final.^[2]

Grand Slams

Wimbledon

Björn Borg defeated Premjit Lall 6–3, 6–4, 9–8^(20–18) in the first round of 1973 Wimbledon Championships.^[1] John Isner won 19–17 in first set tiebreak against Jarkko Nieminen in the second round of the 2014 Wimbledon Championships while storming into a 7–6^(19–17), 7–6^(7–3), 7–5 victory. John McEnroe and Björn Borg played a tiebreaker in the finals of Wimbledon in 1980. The tiebreaker lasted over 20 minutes and McEnroe won with 18–16. Borg eventually won the match 1–6, 7–5, 6–3, 6–7^(16–18), 8–6.^[3]

US Open

Goran Ivanišević and Daniel Nestor played a 20–18 tiebreaker in their 1993 US Open first round match, eventually won by Ivanisevic 6–4, 7–6^(7–5), 7–6^(20–18).^[1] Novak Djokovic won the first set tiebreaker 16–14 over Alexandr Dolgopolov during their fourth round matchup at the 2011 US Open. Djokovic won the match in straight sets 7–6^(16–14), 6–4, 6–2. Andy Murray won the first set and the match against Novak Djokovic 12–10 which was the longest tiebreak in a US Open finals history. Murray won that match 7–6^(12–10), 7–5, 2–6, 3–6, 6–2.

Australian Open

Andy Roddick and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga played a long tiebreaker in the 2007 Australian Open Championships First Round. Tsonga won the tiebreaker 20–18 but lost 6–7^(18–20), 7–6^(7–2), 6–2, 6–3.^[1]

Olympic games

John Isner beat Janko Tipsarević 16–14 in the 2nd set tiebreaker of his 7–5, 7–6^(16–14) Olympic 3rd round win in 2012. A Tipsarevic double-fault on Isner's fifth match point sealed victory for the American.

Other long tiebreakers

Goran Ivanišević won a 20–18 deciding set tiebreak against Greg Rusedski in the semifinals of the 1997 Stella Artois Championships at Queen's Club.

Roger Federer and Marat Safin played a tiebreaker that lasted 26 minutes in the semifinals of the 2004 Tennis Masters Cup in Houston. Federer won the match 6–3, 7–6^(20–18).^[4]

Philipp Kohlschreiber won 18–16 in a deciding set tiebreak against Dustin Brown in the quarterfinals of the 2014 Gerry Weber Open in Halle.

Men's doubles

Longest supertiebreaker

In Marrakech challenger 2012 first round Alexander Bury and Mateusz Kowalczyk defeated Jonathan Dasnières de Veigy and Marc Gicquel 7–6^(7–4), 4–6, [27–25].^[5]

Longest regular tiebreaker

Michael Mortensen and Jan Gunnarson defeated John Frawley and Victor Pecci 6–4, 6–4, 3–6, 7–6^(26–24), first round, Wimbledon, 1985.^[1]

Other long tiebreakers

In Washington 2015 first round Juan Sebastian Cabal/Robert Farah defeated Austin Krajicek/Nicholas Monroe 7–6^(25–23), 6–3.

Women's singles

Overall

Emmanuelle Gagliardi defeated Tara Snyder 6–7^(19–21), 6–1, 6–1 at the 1999 Madrid Open.^[6]

French Open

Denisa Allertová won a first set tiebreak in the 2015 French Open against Johanna Konta 19–17. This set the record for the longest women's tiebreak at Grand Slam level. Allertová ultimately won the match 7–6^(19–17), 4–6, 6–2.

US Open

Maria Kirilenko won a second set tiebreaker over Samantha Stosur in the 2011 US Open, but eventually lost the match 2–6, 7–6^(17–15), 3–6. Stosur went on to win the title.

Other

Ilana Kloss won a first set tiebreaker 19-17 over Kate Latham in the 1979 Crossley Carpets Trophy, but lost the match 7-6, 6-7, 6-2.

Anastasia Myskina won a third set tiebreaker 17-15 against Vera Zvonareva in the 2004 Acura Classic. She won the match 6-2, 6-7^(4-7), 7-6^(17-15).

Hsieh Su-wei also won a tiebreaker 17–15 against Lesia Tsurenko in a first round encounter in Miami in 2013. She won the match 6–4, 7–6^(17–15).

Women's doubles

Nicole Pratt and Bryanne Stewart defeated Corina Morariu and Rennae Stubbs 7–6^(7–5), 7–6^(22–20) in the first round in 2006 Amelia Island tournament.^[1]

Manisha Malhotra and Sania Mirza won a 21–19 tiebreaker against Vlada Ekshibarova and Ivanna Israilova in their 2004 Fed Cup Asia-Oceania Zone doubles match. Malhotra and Mirza won 7–6^(21–19), 6–1.

Rosemary Casals and Kathleen Horvath defeated Sandy Collins and Beth Herr 5-7, 6-1, 7-6^(20-18) in the second round of 1984 Lipton WTA Championships.

Manon Bollegraf and Zina Garrison won a 18-16 tiebreaker against Christina Singer and Irina Spîrlea in 1994 Volkswagen Cup. Singer and Spîrlea won the match 7-6^(7-2), 6-7^(16-18), 6-4.

References