How many sets to win a match

Dimitar Dimitrov Asked 10 years ago

The question maybe is little stupid but how many sets are required to win a match? I thought that the game is 3 of 5 sets till 11 points, but now i see matches with 4 of 6 sets. Is it fixed value or depends on tournament or judges? Or rules are changed?

I saw that Samsonov wins over Timo Boll with 4 to 0 sets at 2013 semi finals. Maybe just for the finals?

Alois Rosario Answered 10 years ago

Hi Dimitar,

The ITTF rules says that a match can be any uneven number of sets. A lot of International matches are played best of 7 games where you need to win 4 to win.

← Donic Persson Power Carbon or DHS Power G PG7 Importance of footwork →

Recommended Video

Hitting the Ceiling

When the ball hits the ceiling the point is over. You must hit the ball directly back onto the table otherwise you lose the point. In International tournaments the roof needs to be at least 5 metres above the playing surface but in local competitions you might often encounter much lower ceilings.

Watch Now

Dieter Verhofstadt Posted 10 years ago

Hi,

In international matches you need to win 4 sets. In many club competitions or national level tournaments it's 3.

The total number of sets played depends on how well the loser did. It can be 4-0, 4-1, 4-2 or 4-3. So the total number varies from 4 to 7. It is not required to "play out" the 7 sets. If it's 4-0 the match is over.

Similarly, in national tournaments the possible results are 3-0, 3-1 and 3-2, varying from 3 to 5 sets in total. Again, the winner reaching 3 is what matters, not the total.

Dieter