Wimbledon: Roger Federer calls for tie-breaker at 12-12 in fifth to halt marathon matches

Swiss feels it is unfair on players to go on so long

Matt Gatward
Wimbledon
Monday 04 July 2016 17:06 BST
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Roger Federer enjoys watching marathon matches
Roger Federer enjoys watching marathon matches

Roger Federer has called for a tie-break at 12-12 in deciding sets at Wimbledon to stop matches, such as John Isner v Jo Wilfried Tsonga from the weekend, running for hours. The Swiss seven-time winner at SW19 feels matches which run and run are unfair on the competitors who struggle to bounce back in their following rounds and also on those waiting to come on to court.

"I don't know," Federer said when asked if a tie-break should be introduced at 6-6 in the fifth set. "Maybe they could make a tie-break at 12-all. Yeah, it is rough for not only the players playing, but also the players that follow that court.

"I think it's super cool, and that's the match I was watching: Isner v Tsonga. I didn't care about any other match that was being played other than that match. It is very cool if it goes 12-all, 14-all, 18-all, 20-all, further and further. But the chances get slimmer and slimmer to win that next round. Like the [US] Open, they have a breaker in the fifth.

"They can make a compromise and make a tie-breaker at 12-all. Play another six service games each. Usually it doesn't go to that, anyway, to 12-all. If it does go there, you had your chances to break or not to break, so you're happy maybe to be in a tie-breaker."

Tsonga beat Isner 19-17 in the fifth set in a match that lasted four hours and 24 minutes.

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