The Ten Spot: Williams Sisters Set To Appear At New Tennis Event At MSG

Serena Williams has committed to play at Tie Break Tens, a "one-day tiebreaker event at Madison Square Garden” in March, despite her current hiatus from the WTA Tour, according to David Waldstein of the N.Y. TIMES. Tie Break Tens CEO Felicity Barnard said that both Serena and Venus Williams “confirmed several months ago that they would attend the event.” Tie Break Tens, which “borrows from the faster-paced concepts being used in sports like Twenty20 cricket and Rugby Sevens, pits eight players in a knockout format.” The contestants “play a 10-point tiebreaker, and the winner advances to the next round.” The event “takes roughly three hours, and the champion gets all $250,000.” Organizers said that they will “promote the New York event in conjunction” with Int’l Women’s Day on March 8. There have been "four previous Tie Break Tens events,” including one earlier this week in Melbourne in advance of the Australian Open (N.Y. TIMES, 1/12).