The home of Wimbledon championship, All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) has announced on Friday that players will go into a final set tie-breaker once tied at 12-12 in the decider from next Grand Slam season.
In a news release, AELTC Chairman, Philip Brook commented that "In reaching this decision, the AELTC Committee sought the feedback of both players and officials, analysed two decades of match data, and considered other factors including scheduling complexities and spectator experience.
"Our view was that the time had come to introduce a tie-break method for matches that had not reached their natural conclusion at a reasonable point during the deciding set. While we know the instances of matches extending deep into the final set are rare, we feel that a tie-break at 12-12 strikes an equitable balance between allowing players ample opportunity to complete the match to advantage, while also providing certainty that the match will reach a conclusion in an acceptable timeframe.
"As a next step, we look forward to sharing further details with our Grand Slam, ITF, WTA and ATP colleagues when we meet in Singapore," he further added.
The tournament also clarified that in order to change the historical fifth set rule that has been decided by two-game advantage, the organizers went through data related to matches played at the AELTC over last 20 years involving both officials and players in the decision-making process. Now the tie-break will be played when the score reaches 12-12 in the final set of the match.
In addition, AELTC said, "This rule, which will be processed with respect for the Rules of Tennis governed by the ITF, will apply to all events at The Championships across Qualifying, Gentlemen's, Ladies', Mixed and Junior singles and doubles."
However, the 2019 Championship will take place from July 1 to July 14.
