Opelka & Isner Play Record-Setting Tie-break In Dallas
Spoiler:
Opelka wins historic 46-point tie-break
Reilly Opelka and John Isner played the longest tour-level singles tie-break in the history of the ATP Tour (since 1990) on Saturday evening. Opelka won it 24/22 to clinch a 7-6(7), 7-6(22) victory against Isner and with it a spot in the Dallas Open final.
Opelka saved 10 set points before finally converting his eighth match point with a backhand passing shot up the line in the forecourt.
"It was bizarre. It's just next point, kind of back to the guessing game. I've got to take care of what I do and hopefully guess right. And I did. I guessed wrong a lot, obviously," Opelka said. "He was in more points than I was. I really hit some big shots, I stayed tough, I also served extremely well. I was very clutch."
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Twelve consecutive sets in the Opelka-Isner ATP Head2Head rivalry have gone to a tie-break, with Opelka winning nine of them.
"At a certain point it just becomes back and forth, but I also had a set point on my serve," Isner said. "Couldn't convert. I probably had an 85 per cent chance to win that point on first serve if you look at the stats, maybe more. And [it] didn't happen. Then it became the back and forth out there after that point. I actually felt like I was the one getting more returns in play and I just tightened up a bit when I did get returns back in play and got it to neutral."
Longest Tour-Level Singles Tie-Breaks (since 1990)
Year Tournament TB Points Players (TB Result)
2022 Dallas 46 Reilly Opelka d. John Isner
2020 Auckland 38 Leonardo Mayer d. Marco Cecchinato
2017 Dubai 38 Andy Murray d. Philipp Kohlschreiber
2007 Australian Open 38 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga d. Andy Roddick
2006 Toronto 38 Jose Acasuso d. Bjorn Phau
2004 Tennis Masters Cup 38 Roger Federer d. Marat Safin
1997 Queen's Club 38 Goran Ivanisevic d. Greg Rusedski
1993 US Open 38 Goran Ivanisevic d. Daniel Nestor
Before Saturday evening, the longest tie-break had lasted 38 points. That has happened on seven occasions, most recently in Auckland in 2020, when Leonardo Mayer took a 20/18 tie-break against Marco Cecchinato. The other players who have won tie-breaks by that score are Andy Murray (2017 Dubai), Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (2007 Australian Open), Jose Acasuso (2006 Toronto), Roger Federer (2004 Tennis Masters Cup) and Goran Ivanisevic (1993 US Open and 1997 Queen's Club).
Reilly Opelka and John Isner played the longest tour-level singles tie-break in the history of the ATP Tour (since 1990) on Saturday evening. Opelka won it 24/22 to clinch a 7-6(7), 7-6(22) victory against Isner and with it a spot in the Dallas Open final.
Opelka saved 10 set points before finally converting his eighth match point with a backhand passing shot up the line in the forecourt.
"It was bizarre. It's just next point, kind of back to the guessing game. I've got to take care of what I do and hopefully guess right. And I did. I guessed wrong a lot, obviously," Opelka said. "He was in more points than I was. I really hit some big shots, I stayed tough, I also served extremely well. I was very clutch."
You May Also Like: Opelka Wins Historic Tie-Break To Beat Isner in Dallas
Twelve consecutive sets in the Opelka-Isner ATP Head2Head rivalry have gone to a tie-break, with Opelka winning nine of them.
"At a certain point it just becomes back and forth, but I also had a set point on my serve," Isner said. "Couldn't convert. I probably had an 85 per cent chance to win that point on first serve if you look at the stats, maybe more. And [it] didn't happen. Then it became the back and forth out there after that point. I actually felt like I was the one getting more returns in play and I just tightened up a bit when I did get returns back in play and got it to neutral."
Longest Tour-Level Singles Tie-Breaks (since 1990)
Year Tournament TB Points Players (TB Result)
2022 Dallas 46 Reilly Opelka d. John Isner
2020 Auckland 38 Leonardo Mayer d. Marco Cecchinato
2017 Dubai 38 Andy Murray d. Philipp Kohlschreiber
2007 Australian Open 38 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga d. Andy Roddick
2006 Toronto 38 Jose Acasuso d. Bjorn Phau
2004 Tennis Masters Cup 38 Roger Federer d. Marat Safin
1997 Queen's Club 38 Goran Ivanisevic d. Greg Rusedski
1993 US Open 38 Goran Ivanisevic d. Daniel Nestor
Before Saturday evening, the longest tie-break had lasted 38 points. That has happened on seven occasions, most recently in Auckland in 2020, when Leonardo Mayer took a 20/18 tie-break against Marco Cecchinato. The other players who have won tie-breaks by that score are Andy Murray (2017 Dubai), Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (2007 Australian Open), Jose Acasuso (2006 Toronto), Roger Federer (2004 Tennis Masters Cup) and Goran Ivanisevic (1993 US Open and 1997 Queen's Club).
/ Matwe Middelkoop 
/ Tim Puetz 
vs [3] Felix Auger-Aliassime 
/ Andres Molteni 
vs [2] Fabio Fognini 
/ Horacio Zeballos 
vs [2] Diego Schwartzman 
vs [2] Reilly Opelka 
/ Jean-Julien Rojer 
/ Harri Heliovaara 
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