John Isner, left, and Kevin Anderson played a semifinal this year at Wimbledon that lasted 6 hours 36 minutes, including a 50-game fifth set.
Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
MELBOURNE, Australia — The Australian Open in January will play a 10-point tiebreaker in deciding sets, joining Wimbledon and the United States Open in using tiebreakers to avoid long matches.
The tournament said Friday that the decision, reported widely a month ago but denied by Australian Open officials, came after consultation with current and former players and tennis officials. Temperatures often soar to 37 degrees Celsius (around 100 F) and beyond during the tournament.