Brad Gilbert: The Set Up Game

What role did the Set up Game play in Andre Agassi's 1992 Wimbledon win? In my first article for Tennisplayer, we looked at what I call the "Set-up Point." Basically a Set-up Point is any point that can move you to within one point of winning a game. (Click Here.) Now in this second article, let's look at an equally important and unrecognized situation in competitive matches. This is the Set-up Game. Basically, any game that can move a player to within one game of the set is a Set-up Game. It's similar to the Set-up Point in that it's generally not viewed by most players as anything special, just another game. But a Set-up game is special. It isn't just another game, as I'll demonstrate using an example from a famous Wimbledon final. The Set-up Game at 4-4 or 5-5, when both players have a chance to move up to a set game, has even more dynamic value. If you break serve you are then serving for the set. Or if you hold serve (at 4-4 or 5-5) your opponent has the pressure of knowing if they don't hold serve they lose the set or match. Knowing that they...