Tennis Scoring | Print This Page
Matches are composed of sets; best of three sets are traditionally played on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. Sets are broken down into individual games, which consist of points. The scoring concept is different than any other sport as a player has to win four points in order to score one game.
Instead of counting to 1-4 points, tennis is scored by using love (0), 15, 30, 40. In the event both players reach 40-40 (four points each), a deuce is declared, meaning a tie. Play then continues until one player gains the “advantage” (one point more than the other) and then secures the next point to take the game.
A player can only win the set if she wins four games and then two more games than the opposing player. If both players score six games each (6-6), matchplay then converts to a tie-break.
A tie-break always goes to a minimum of seven points (counted using regular numbering) and the winner must have two points higher than her opponent. Tie-breaks are not played in the deciding, or last set of Grand Slam matches at the Australian Open, Roland Garros, or Wimbledon, just at the U.S. Open.
For more information on how to score tennis, read Wikipedia’s extensive scoring guide.
Related Links:
Tennis Dictionary
Official WTA Tour Rules
Official ATP Tour Rules
