Tennis what is a breakpoint

When you are facing break points as a server, it is important to try to stay calm and collected and take a methodical approach to get out of the situation.

This is crucial if you want to give yourself the best chance of saving a break point and ultimately holding your serve. However, this is definitely easier said than done. It can be a uncomfortable situation being break point down, and this can show the nerves a player may be feeling. Therefore, putting pressure on your opponent by making your first serve gives you the best chance of either winning the point then and there, or at least offering up a weaker return that you can step in and put away easily.

Not many players in the professional game can match, let alone exceed their average first serve percentage on break points. If you make your first serve, your opponent will likely be rushed, out of position or forced to play a defensive shot.

This swings the odds massively in your favour and gives you a much easier job of saving a break point than hustling and scrambling to stay in a point! However, if you miss your first serve and are forced to hit a second serve, the likelihood of saving that break point drops off a cliff. You are now in a defensive position and are probably quite unlikely to take any major risks on that second serve, so this gives your opponent a golden opportunity to pile on the pressure and attack your second serve.

Your opponent can also afford to take most risks and play freely since losing the point from their point of view does not lose them the game. Even if you take a bit of pace off and focus more on placement, you will still be a lot more likely to win the point hitting a first serve than a second serve!

When you have earned break points as a returner, you should adopt a controlled but aggressive approach to the situation. It is important not to waste this opportunity, as they may not come around very often. It is important to remember that your opponent is likely going to be feeling more under pressure than you in this situation, so putting them in a defensive position where they are off balance will likely produce a forced or even unforced error.

The most important thing as a returner who has break points is simply to get the return into play. Oftentimes a good tactic when facing a first serve is to try and block the ball deep up the middle of the court. This pushes your opponent back but also gives you plenty of margin for error, and will likely offer up a weaker response from your opponent.

If they are hitting a second serve, you can look to hit a more aggressive and powerful shot that takes them out of court and rushes them. This is a calculated risk worth taking, as the act of simply stepping inside the court and making your presence known can be enough to put your opponent off and even force a double fault. Therefore, as a returner with break points you should try to be aggressive and put pressure on your opponent but taper your approach. Remember, the player serving will almost certainly be feeling more pressure than you, so try your best to make them miss!

Overall, break points are the most important points in a tennis match. They very regularly determine the outcome of a match and can provide golden opportunities for momentum to switch. Understanding this can help both servers and returners adjust their approach to playing a break point and ultimately try to produce their best tennis at the most crucial moments. Your email address will not be published. Break Point in Tennis Break Point noun [breyk point]. Article Contents.

Follow a manual added link 1. Follow a manual added link 2. Follow a manual added link 3. Follow a manual added link 4. Follow a manual added link 5. New to TennisCompanion? Explore and get to know us. Previous Next. Create a Free Account. View Courses. Get it Now. Do Break Points Really Matter? This is when a server is one point away from losing a game, but are able to make a comeback to prevent the receiver from securing a break point: 1st: Ivo Karlovic, The Psychology Of Break Points In Tennis Now we know that break points are important to win, or save, if you want to win more tennis matches.

You can be assured that your best chances of success rely on you being able to complete your usual pre-point ritual! Big players such as Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are even known to slow down before a big point, just to collect their thoughts and make sure they are in the zone.

A player gains the advantage when they've scored one. Winning the break point means winning the game, but it's not as easy as it sounds. It's harder to win when your opponent is serving, because a strong serve can put the returner on the defensive or disrupt their strategic placement. That's why a break point is a particularly tense moment: you've got one person with the scoring advantage but not the serving advantage, and another person trying to seize their last chance to keep the game alive — sometimes with an Olympic medal on the line.

Summer Olympics Olympics Sports Tennis. You May Also Like. We're Breaking It Down. Healthy Living.