Best of three
How to understand “best of three”?
What does the tennis term “best of three” mean?
What characterizes “best of three” in tennis?
A best-of-three playoff is a head-to-head competition between two teams in which one team must win two games to win the series. Two is chosen as it constituted a majority of the games played; if one team wins both of the first two games, game 3 is not played.
When a best-of series is tied (each team having won the same number of games), the bracket is sometimes said to be a “best-of-(number of games left)”. This is because for all practical purposes, the teams are starting over. For instance, if a best-of-seven series is deadlocked at 2–2, the series can be referred to as a “best-of-three”, since the first team to win the next two games advances. Game 7 would only be played if two teams split Games 5 and 6.
In tennis, matches are usually decided with a best-of-three-sets format. Some major tournaments are played in a best-of-five-sets format, most notably the Grand Slam men’s singles and doubles. Also, the 35-and-over Gentlemen’s Invitation Doubles and the 35-and-over Ladies’ Invitation Doubles at Wimbledon are both round-robin tournaments.