2 Responses to dallas22opelka_isner

1. Voo de Mar says:

   March 17, 2022 at 9:34 pm

   Points won by each set: | 39-39, 50-50 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   57 % Opelka – 52 of 90
   55 % Isner – 49 of 88

   Tie-breaks: (9/7, 24/22)…

   ☆ Finally!!! 49 years after a teenage Bjorn Borg won a tie-break 20/18 against Premjit Lall at Wimbledon (three years after the tie-break introduction), that long-lasting record has been officially broken (there was 24/22 in a qualifying ATP match) after being equalled 7 times in the years 1993-2020! It makes a perfect sense that Opelka & Isner were involved – the two tallest players who play long tie-breaks more frequently than anyone else (once together), and serve perfectly facing each other because there are no rallies so they can serve being totally fresh – # they have played 12 tie-breaks in 12 consecutive sets which is a special record as well (only two breaks in those sets). In their Dallas semifinal, Opelka saved eleven set points in total (1, 10) – it’s also a rarity that a player wins 2-0 being one point away to lose both sets, it happens only 2-3 times per season. Below how he saved those set points:

   1st tie-break:
   6:7 – ace

   2nd tie-break:
   5:6 – ace
   7:8 – ace
   8:9* – BH passing-shot
   9:10 – ace
   11:12 – ace
   13:14 – (FH error)
   15:16 – unreturned serve
   17:18 – FH winner
   19:20 – (BH error)
   21:22 – ace

   On Opelka’s 8th match point, Isner proposed a serve-and-volley action (6/8 for the match, Opelka didn’t play it once), his younger friend passed him with a backhand down the line. Prior to the second set tie-break, they played 12 games within 36 minutes, the 13th game lasted 34 minutes.

   # 8 consecutive tie-breaks sets in rivalries: Isner vs Karlovic (4-4) and Safin vs Ljubicic (4-4)
   

   Log in to Reply
2. Voo de Mar says:

   March 18, 2022 at 3:38 pm

   ☆ History of the longest tie-break:

   Wimbledon 1973: Borg d. Lall 6-3, 6-4, 9-8(18)
   US Open 1993: Ivanisevic d. Nestor 6-4, 7-6, 7-6(18)
   Queens Club 1997: Ivanisevic d. Rusedski 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(18)
   Houston 2004: Federer d. Safin 6-3, 7-6(18)
   Toronto 2006: Acaususo d. Phau 7-5, 7-6(18)
   Aussie Open 2007: Roddick d. Tsonga 6-7(18), 7-6, 6-3, 6-3
   Dubai 2017: Murray d. Kohlschreiber 6-7, 7-6(18), 6-1
   Auckland 2020: Cecchinato d. L.Mayer 7-6, 6-7(18), 7-6
   Dallas ’22: Opelka d. Isner 7-6, 7-6(22)

   ☆☆ The longest tie-breaks to win the match 2-0:

   Dallas ’22: Opelka d. Isner 7-6, 7-6(22)
   Houston ’04: Federer d. Safin 6-3, 7-6(18)
   Toronto ’06: Acasuso d. Phau 7-5, 7-6(18)
   Florence ’85: Arias d. Allan 6-2, 7-6(15)
   Indianapolis ’01: Ljubicic d. Woodruff 6-3, 7-6(15)
   Acapulco ’05: Montanes d. Zib 6-4, 7-6(15)
   Hamburg ’07: Ferrero d. Safin 6-3, 7-6(15)
   Washington ’16: Johnson d. Isner 7-6, 7-6(15)
   Rosmalen ’93: Masur d. Krajicek 6-3, 7-6(14)
   Lyon ’93: Pioline d. El Aynaoui 7-6, 7-6(14)
   Cincinnati ’96: Muster d. W.Ferreira 7-6, 7-6(14)
   Basel ’06: Federer d. Ferrer 6-3, 7-6(14)
   Nottingham ’08: Karlovic d. Querrey 7-6, 7-6(14)
   London ’12: Isner d. Tipsarevic 7-5, 7-6(14)
   Bogota ’13: Karlovic d. Sijsling 6-3, 7-6(14)

   ☆☆☆ During long decades when the 20/18 record was frozen, two longer tie-breaks occurred at the qualifying level (both in the first round):
   Copenhagen 1992: Rahunen d. Nyborg 7-6(22), 2-6, 6-3
   Wimbledon 2001: Llodra d. Fromberg 6-3, 6-7(19), 8-6

   Log in to Reply