The big headline in the print edition of The Birmingham News sports page today reads:  “Roddick Evens Tie.”  I ask you: does that make sense? Wouldn’t a tie already be even?  I’m not blaming the paper, but the International Tennis Federation.  This group has borrowed the word from cricket and insists that a Davis Cup team match between two countries be called a “tie.”

This decision is supposed to diffuse confusion over references to the individual matches and team matches.  I think it only confuses tennis fans not familiar with Davis Cup.  Here on Topspin Blog I’ve refused to call these team matches a tie.  To me, a tie is something you wear around your neck, do to your shoes, when both teams have the same score, and a term from cricket.  It is not a team tennis match.

I do not go into this decision on style without due diligence.  What follows below is the tenth and last definition of the word from the Oxford English Dictionary Online, including records of its usage in this form.  (I don’t think the Davis Cup usage of tie strictly adheres to the definition.) 

10. a. Equality between two or more competitors or the sides in a match or contest; a match in which this occurs, a drawn match; a dead heat. Hence, to play off, shoot off, etc. a tie, to resolve or determine a tie, by playing another match…1680 [see TIE v. 7]. 1736 in Waghorn Cricket Scores (1899) 16 A great single-wicket match..the country men got but 6, which made it a tie. 1837 T. HOOK Jack Brag iii, To see the ties shot off of the great pigeon match. 1844 DISRAELI Coningsby VIII. iii, The Government count on the seat, though with the new Registration ’tis nearly a tie. 1881 T. HARDY Laodicean II. vi, We are bracketed it’s a tie.

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