Tennis is a racket sport that can be played individually
against a single opponent (singles) or
between two teams of two players each (doubles).
Each player uses a tennis racket
that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over or around a net and
into the opponent's court. The
object of the game is to play the ball in such a way that the opponent is not
able to play a valid return. The player who is unable to return the ball will
not gain a point, while the opposite player will.
Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of
society and at all ages. The sport can be played by anyone who can hold a
racket, including wheelchair users.
The modern game of tennis originated in Birmingham, England, in the late 19th century as "lawn
tennis". It had close connections both to various field
("lawn") games such as croquet and bowls
as well as to the older racket sport of real tennis. During most of the 19th-century in
fact, the term "tennis" referred to real tennis, not lawn tennis: for
example, in Disraeli's novel Sybil (1845), Lord Eugene De Vere announces that
he will "go down to Hampton
Court and play tennis." The rules of tennis have changed little
since the 1890s. Two exceptions are that from 1908 to 1961 the server had to
keep one foot on the ground at all times, and the adoption of the tiebreak in
the 1970s. A recent addition to professional tennis has been the adoption of
electronic review technology coupled with a point challenge system, which
allows a player to contest the line call of a point.
Tennis is played by millions of
recreational players and is also a popular worldwide spectator sport. The four Grand Slam
tournaments (also referred to as the "Majors") are especially
popular: the Australian Open
played on hard courts, the French Open played on red clay courts, Wimbledon
played on grass courts,
and the US Open
played also on hard courts.
Augurio Perera's house in Edgbaston, Birmingham, where he and Harry Gem first played the modern game of lawn
tennis
Between
1859 and 1865 Harry Gem and his friend Augurio Perera developed a game that combined
elements of racquets and
the Basque ball game pelota, which they played on Perera's croquet lawn in Birmingham, England, United Kingdom. In 1872,
along with two local doctors, they founded the world's first tennis club in Leamington Spa.
In
December 1873, British army officer Major Walter Clopton Wingfield designed and patented a similar
game ;– which he called sphairistikè
(Greek: σφαιριστική, meaning "ball-playing"),
and was soon known simply as "sticky" – for the amusement of guests
at a garden party on his friend's estate of Nantclwyd Hall, in Llanelidan, Wales. According to R. D. C. Evans,
turfgrass agronomist, "Sports historians all agree
that [Wingfield] deserves much of the credit for the development of modern
tennis." According to Honor Godfrey, museum curator at Wimbledon,
Wingfield "popularized this game enormously. He produced a boxed set which
included a net, poles, rackets, balls for playing the game -- and most
importantly you had his rules. He was absolutely terrific at marketing and he
sent his game all over the world. He had very good connections with the clergy,
the law profession, and the aristocracy and he sent thousands of sets out in
the first year or so, in 1874." The world's oldest tennis tournament, the Wimbledon Championships, were first played in London in 1877
The first Championships culminated a significant debate on how to standardize
the rules.
Lawn
tennis in the U.S., 1887
In the
U.S. in 1874 Mary Ewing Outerbridge, a young socialite, returned from
Bermuda with a sphairistikè set. She became fascinated by the game of tennis
after watching British army officers play. She laid out a tennis court at the Staten Island Cricket Club at Camp Washington, Tompkinsville, Staten Island, New York. The first American National
championship was played there in September 1880. An Englishman named O.E
Woodhouse won the singles title, and a silver cup worth $100, by defeating
Canadian I. F. Hellmuth There was also a doubles match which
was won by a local pair. There were different rules at each club. The ball in
Boston was larger than the one normally used in New York. On 21 May 1881, the
United States National Lawn Tennis Association (now the United States Tennis Association) was formed to standardize the rules
and organize competitions The U.S. National Men's Singles Championship, now the
US Open, was
first held in 1881 at the Newport Casino, Newport, Rhode Island The
U.S. National Women's Singles Championships were first held in 1887 in
Lawn
tennis in Canada, ca. 1900
Tennis
also became popular in France, where the French Championships dates to 1891 although until 1925 it
was open only to tennis players who were members of French clubs. Thus,
Wimbledon, the US Open, the French Open, and the Australian Open (dating to 1905) became and have
remained the most prestigious events in tennis. Together these four events are
called the Majors or Slams (a
term borrowed from bridge rather than baseball).
The
comprehensive rules promulgated in 1924 by the International Lawn Tennis
Federation, now known as the International Tennis Federation (ITF), have remained largely stable in
the ensuing eighty years, the one major change being the addition of the tiebreak system designed by Jimmy Van Alen. That same year, tennis withdrew from
the Olympics after the 1924 Games but returned 60 years later as a 21-and-under
demonstration event in 1984. This reinstatement was credited by the efforts by
the then ITF President Philippe Chatrier, ITF General Secretary David Gray and ITF
Vice President Pablo Llorens, and support from IOC President Juan Antonio
Samaranch. The success of the event was overwhelming and the IOC decided to
reintroduce tennis as a full medal sport at Seoul in 1988.
International
Tennis Hall of Fame at the Newport Casino
The analogous competition for women's national
teams, the Fed Cup, was founded as the Federation Cup in
1963 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the ITF.In 1926, promoter C. C. Pyle established the first professional
tennis tour with a group of American and French tennis players playing
exhibition matches to paying audiences. The most notable of these early
professionals were the American Vinnie Richards and the Frenchwoman Suzanne Lenglen.
Once a player turned pro he or she could not compete in the major (amateur)
tournaments.In 1968, commercial pressures and
rumors of some amateurs taking money under the table led to the abandonment of
this distinction, inaugurating the Open Era, in which all players could compete in
all tournaments, and top players were able to make their living from tennis.
With the beginning of the Open Era, the establishment of an international
professional tennis circuit, and revenues from the sale of television rights,
tennis's popularity has spread worldwide, and the sport has shed its
middle-class English-speaking image (although it is acknowledged that this
stereotype still exists). In 1954, Van Alen founded the International Tennis Hall of Fame, a non-profit museum in Newport, Rhode
Island.The building contains a large collection of tennis memorabilia as well
as a hall of fame honouring prominent members and tennis players from all over
the world. Each year, a grass court tournament and an induction ceremony
honoring new Hall of Fame members are hosted on its grounds.
Equipments
Part
of the appeal of tennis stems from the simplicity of equipment required for
play. Beginners need only a racket and
balls.
Rackets
Wooden
racket - c. 1920s
The
components of a tennis racket include a handle, known as the grip, connected to
a neck which joins a roughly elliptical frame that holds a matrix of tightly
pulled strings. For the first 100 years of the modern game, rackets were made
of wood and of standard size, and strings were of animal gut. Laminated wood
construction yielded more strength in rackets used through most of the 20th
century until first metal and then composites of carbon graphite, ceramics, and
lighter metals such as titanium were introduced. These stronger materials
enabled the production of over-sized rackets that yielded yet more power.
Meanwhile, technology led to the use of synthetic strings that match the feel
of gut yet with added durability.
Under
modern rules of tennis, the rackets must adhere to the following guidelines;
- The hitting area, composed of the strings, must be flat and generally uniform.
- The frame of the hitting area may not be more than 29 inches in length and 12.5 inches in width.
- The entire racket must be of a fixed shape, size, weight, and weight distribution. There may not be any energy source built into the rackets.
- The rackets must not provide any kind of communication, instruction or advice to the player during the match.
The
rules regarding rackets have changed over time, as material and engineering
advances have been made. For example, the maximum length of the frame had been
32 inches until 1997, when it was shortened to 29 inches.
A
tennis racket and balls.
Many
companies manufacture and distribute tennis rackets. Wilson, Head and Babolat
are some of the more commonly used brands; however, many more companies exist.
The same companies sponsor players to use these rackets in the hopes that the
company name will become more well known by the public.
Balls
Main
article: Tennis ball
Tennis
balls were originally made of cloth strips stitched together with thread and
stuffed with feathers. Modern tennis balls are made of hollow vulcanized rubber with a felt coating. Traditionally white, the
predominant colour was gradually changed to optic yellow in the latter part of
the 20th century to allow for improved visibility. Tennis balls must conform to
certain criteria for size, weight, deformation,
and bounce to be approved for regulation play. The International Tennis
Federation (ITF) defines the official diameter as 65.41-68.58 mm
(2.575-2.700 inches). Balls must weigh between 56.0 and 59.4 grams
(1.975-2.095 ounces). Tennis balls were traditionally manufactured in the United States and Europe. Although the process of producing the
balls has remained virtually unchanged for the past 100 years, the majority of
manufacturing now takes place in the Far East. The relocation is due to cheaper labour costs and materials in the region.
Miscellaneous
Advanced
players improve their performance through a number of accoutrements. Vibration
dampeners may be interlaced in the proximal part of the string array for
improved feel. racket handles may be customized with absorbent or rubber-like
materials to improve the players' grip. Players often use sweat bands on their
wrists to keep their hands dry and head bands or bandanas to keep the sweat out
of their eyes as well. Finally, although the game can be played in a variety of
shoes, specialized tennis shoes have wide, flat soles for stability and a
built-up front structure to avoid excess wear.
Court
Tennis is played on a
rectangular, flat surface. The court is 78 feet (23.77 m) long, and 27 feet
(8.23 m) wide for singles matches and 36 ft (10.97 m) for
doubles matches. Additional clear space around the court is required in order
for players to reach overrun balls. A net is stretched across the full width of
the court, parallel with the baselines, dividing it into two equal ends. It is
held up by either a metal cable or cord that can be no more than 0.8 cm
(1/3 inch) The net is 3 feet
6 inches (1.067 m) high at the posts and 3 feet (0.914 m)
high in the center. The net posts are 3 feet (0.914 m) outside the
doubles court on each side or, for a singles net, 3 feet (0.914 m)
outside the singles court on each side.
The modern tennis court owes its
design to Major Walter Clopton Wingfield
who, in 1873, patented a court much the same as the current one for his stické tennis (sphairistike). This template was
modified in 1875 to the court design that exists today, with markings similar
to Wingfield's version, but with the hourglass shape of his court changed to a
rectangle. Tennis is unusual in that it is played on a variety of surfaces. Grass, clay, and hardcourts of concrete or asphalt topped with
acrylic are the most common. Occasionally carpet is used for indoor play, with
hardwood flooring having been historically used. Artificial turf courts can also be found.
Lines
The lines that delineate the
width of the court are called the baseline (farthest back) and the service line
(middle of the court). The short mark in the center of each baseline is
referred to as either the hash mark or the center mark. The outermost lines
that make up the length are called the doubles sidelines. These are the
boundaries used when doubles is being played. The lines to the inside of the
doubles sidelines are the singles sidelines and are used as boundaries in
singles play. The area between a doubles sideline and the nearest singles
sideline is called the doubles alley, which is considered playable in doubles
play. The line that runs across the center of a player's side of the court is
called the service line because the serve must be delivered into the area
between the service line and the net on the receiving side. Despite its name,
this is not where a player legally stands when making a serve.
The line dividing the service
line in two is called the center line or center service line. The boxes this
center line creates are called the service boxes; depending on a player's
position, he or she will have to hit the ball into one of these when serving. A
ball is out only if none of it has hit the line or the area inside the lines
upon its first bounce. All the lines are required to be between 1 and 2 inches
(51 mm) in width. The baseline can be up to 4 inches (100 mm) wide.
Play of a single point
The players (or teams) start on
opposite sides of the net. One player is designated the server, and the opposing player is the receiver. The choice to be server or receiver in the first game
and the choice of ends is decided by a coin toss before the warm-up starts.
Service alternates game by game between the two players (or teams). For each
point, the server starts behind the baseline, between the center mark and the
sideline. The receiver may start anywhere on their side of the net. When the
receiver is ready, the server will serve, although the receiver must play to the pace
of the server.
In a legal service, the ball
travels over the net (without touching it) and into the diagonally opposite
service box. If the ball hits the net but lands in the service box, this is a let or net service, which is void, and the server retakes that serve.
The player can serve any number of let services in a point and they are always
treated as voids and not as faults. A fault is a serve that falls long or wide
of the service box, or does not clear the net. There is also a "foot
fault", which occurs when a player's foot touches the baseline or an
extension of the center mark before the ball is hit. If the second service is
also a fault, the server double
faults, and the receiver wins the point. However, if the serve is in, it
is considered a legal service.
A legal service starts a rally, in which the players alternate
hitting the ball across the net. A legal return consists of the player or team
hitting the ball before it has bounced twice or hit any fixtures except the
net, provided that it still falls in the server's court. A player or team
cannot hit the ball twice in a row. The ball must travel past the net into the
other players' court. A ball that hits the net during a rally is still
considered a legal return as long as it crosses into the opposite side of the
court. The first player or team to fail to make a legal return loses the point.
The server then moves to the other side of the service line at the start of a
new point.
Scoring
"Break
point" redirects here. For software term, see Breakpoint.
Game
A game consists
of a sequence of points played
with the same player serving. A game is won by the first player to have won at
least four points in total and at least two points more than the opponent. The
running score of each game is described in a manner peculiar to tennis: scores
from zero to three points are described as "love", "fifteen",
"thirty", and "forty". The word love came from
the french word l'œuf meaning an egg and an egg looks like a zero.
respectively. If at least three points have been scored by each player, making
the player's scores equal at forty apiece, the score is not called out as
"forty-forty", but rather as "deuce". If at least three points have been scored by each
side and a player has one more point than his opponent, the score of the game
is "advantage" for
the player in the lead. During informal games, "advantage" can also be called "ad in" or "van
in" when the serving player is ahead, and "ad out" or "van out" when the receiving
player is ahead.
The
scoreboard of a match between Andy Roddick and Cyril Saulnier.
The score of a tennis game during
play is always read with the serving player's score first. In tournament play,
the chair umpire calls the point count (e.g., "fifteen-love") after each point. At the end of a game, the
chair umpire also announces the winner of the game and the overall score.
Set
A set consists of a sequence of games played with
service alternating between games, ending when the count of games won meets
certain criteria. Typically, a player wins a set by winning at least six games
and at least two games more than the opponent. If one player has won six games
and the opponent five, an additional game is played. If the leading player wins
that game, the player wins the set 7–5. If the trailing player wins the game, a
tie-break is
played. A tie-break, played under a separate set of rules, allows one player to
win one more game and thus the set, to give a final set score of 7–6. A
"love" set means that the loser of the set won zero games,
colloquially termed a 'jam donut' in the USA. In tournament play, the chair
umpire announces the winner of the set and the overall score. The final score
in sets is always read with the winning player's score first, e.g. "6–2,
4–6, 6–0, 7–5".
Match
A match
consists of a sequence of sets. The outcome is determined through a best of
three or five sets system.
Recreational players may agree to play any number of sets, depending upon time
availability or stamina. On the professional circuit, men play best-of-five-set
matches at all four Grand Slam
tournaments, Davis Cup, and the final of the Olympic Games and best-of-three-set matches at all
other tournaments, while women play best-of-three-set matches at all
tournaments. The first player to win two sets in a best-of-three, or three sets
in a best-of-five, wins the match. Only in the final sets of matches at the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon,
the Olympic Games, Davis Cup,
and Fed Cup are tie-breaks not played. In these cases,
sets are played indefinitely until one player has a two-game lead, leading to
some remarkably long matches.
In tournament play, the chair umpire announces the end of the match with the
well-known phrase "Game, set,
match" followed by the winning person's or team's name.
Special point terms
Game point
A game point occurs in tennis whenever the player who is in the
lead in the game needs only one more point to win the game. The terminology is
extended to sets (set point), matches (match point), and even championships
(championship point). For example, if the player who is serving has a score of
40-love, the player has a triple game point (triple set point, etc.) as the
player has three consecutive chances to win the game. Game points, set points,
and match points are not part of official scoring and are not announced by the
chair umpire in tournament play.
Break point
A break point occurs if the receiver, not the server, has a chance to win the game with the next
point. Break points are of particular importance because serving is generally considered advantageous, with
servers being expected to win games in which they are serving. A receiver who
has one (score of 30–40), two (score of 15–40) or three (score of love-40)
consecutive chances to win the game has break
point, double break point
or triple break point,
respectively. If the receiver does, in fact, win their break point, the game is
awarded to the receiver, and the receiver is said to have converted their break point. If the
receiver fails to win their break point it is called a failure to convert. Winning break points, and thus the game, is
also referred to as breaking serve,
as the receiver has disrupted, or broken
the natural advantage of the server. If in the following game the previous
server also wins a break point it is referred to as breaking back. At least one break of serve is required to win a
set.
Rule variations
See also: Types of tennis
match
- No ad
From 'No advantage'. Scoring method created
by Jimmy Van Alen. The first player or doubles
team to win four points wins the game, regardless of whether the player or team
is ahead by two points. When the game score reaches three points each, the
receiver chooses which side of the court (advantage court or deuce court) the
service is to be delivered on the seventh and game-deciding point. Utilized by World Team Tennis professional competition
and ITF Junior Doubles.
- Pro set
Instead of playing multiple sets, players may
play one "pro set". A pro set is first to 8 (or 10) games by a margin
of two games, instead of first to 6 games. A 12-point tie-break is usually
played when the score is 8–8 (or 10–10). These are often played with no-ad
scoring.
- Match tie-break
This is sometimes played instead of a third
set. A match tie-break is played like a regular tie-break, but the winner must
win ten points instead of seven. Match tie-breaks are used in the Hopman Cup and the 2012
Olympic Games for mixed doubles, on the ATP
and WTA
tours for doubles and as a player's choice in USTA league play.
Another, however informal, tennis
format is called Canadian doubles.
This involves three players, with one person playing a doubles team. The single
player gets to utilize the alleys normally reserved only for a doubles team.
Conversely, the doubles team does not use the alleys when executing a shot. The
scoring is the same as a regular game. This format is not sanctioned by any
official body.
"Australian doubles",
another informal and unsanctioned form of tennis, is played with similar rules
to the Canadian doubles
style, only in this version, players rotate court position after each game. As
such, each player plays doubles and singles over the course of a match, with
the singles player always serving. Scoring styles vary, but one popular method
is to assign a value of 2 points to each game, with the server taking both
points if he or she holds serve and the doubles team each taking one if they
break serve.
Wheelchair tennis can be played by able-bodied
players as well as people who require a wheelchair for mobility. An extra
bounce is permitted. This rule makes it possible to have mixed wheelchair and
able-bodied matches. It is possible for a doubles team to consist of a
wheelchair player and an able-bodied player (referred to as "one-up,
one-down"), or for a wheelchair player to play against an able-bodied
player. In such cases, the extra bounce is permitted for the wheelchair users
only.
Officials
In most professional play and
some amateur competition, there is an officiating head judge or chair umpire (usually referred to as the umpire), who
sits in a raised chair to one side of the court. The umpire has absolute
authority to make factual determinations. The umpire may be assisted by line
judges, who determine whether the ball has landed within the required part of
the court and who also call foot faults. There also may be a net judge who
determines whether the ball has touched the net during service. The umpire has
the right to overrule a line judge or a net judge if the umpire is sure that a
clear mistake has been made
In some tournaments, line judges
who would be calling the serve, were assisted by electronic sensors
that beeped to indicate the serve was out. This system was called "Cyclops".
Cyclops has since largely been replaced by the Hawk-Eye system. In professional tournaments using
this system, players are allowed three unsuccessful appeals per set, plus one
additional appeal in the tie-break to challenge close line calls by means of an
electronic review. The US Open, Miami Masters, US Open Series,
and World Team Tennis
started using this challenge system in 2006 and the Australian Open and Wimbledon
introduced the system in 2007 In clay-court matches, such as at the French Open, a call may be questioned by reference
to the mark left by the ball's impact on the court surface.
The referee, who is usually
located off the court, is the final authority about tennis rules. When called
to the court by a player or team captain, the referee may overrule the umpire's
decision if the tennis rules were violated (question of law) but may not change
the umpire's decision on a question of fact. If, however, the referee is on the
court during play, the referee may overrule the umpire's decision (This would
only happen in Davis Cup or Fed Cup matches, not at the World Group level, when
a chair umpire from a non-neutral country is in the chair)
Ball boys and girls may be employed to retrieve
balls, pass them to the players, and hand players their towels. They have no adjudicative role. In rare events (e.g., if they
are hurt or if they have caused a hindrance), the umpire may ask them for a
statement of what actually happened. The umpire may consider their statements
when making a decision. In some leagues, especially junior leagues, players
make their own calls, trusting each other to be honest. This is the case for
many school and university level matches. The referee or referee's assistant,
however, can be called on court at a player's request, and the referee or
assistant may change a player's call. In unaffiliated matches, a ball is out
only if the player entitled to make the call is sure that the ball is out.
Junior’s
tennis
In tennis, a junior is a player
under 18 who is still legally protected by a parent or guardian. Players on the
main adult tour who are under 18 must have documents signed by a parent or
guardian. These players, however, are still eligible to play in junior
tournaments.
The International
Tennis Federation (ITF) conducts a junior tour that allows juniors
to establish a world ranking and an Association
of Tennis Professionals (ATP) or Women's Tennis Association
(WTA) ranking. Most juniors who enter the international circuit do so by
progressing through ITF, Satellite, Future, and Challenger tournaments before
entering the main circuit. The latter three circuits also have adults competing
in them. Some juniors, however, such as Australian Lleyton Hewitt and Frenchman Gaël Monfils, have catapulted directly from the
junior tour to the ATP tour by dominating the junior scene or by taking
advantage of opportunities given to them to participate in professional
tournaments.
In 2004, the ITF implemented a
new rankings scheme to encourage greater participation in doubles, by combining
two rankings (singles and doubles) into one combined tally. Junior tournaments
do not offer prize money
except for the Grand Slam tournaments,
which are the most prestigious junior events. Juniors may earn income from
tennis by participating in the Future, Satellite, or Challenger tours.
Tournaments are broken up into different tiers offering different amounts of
ranking points, culminating with Grade A.
Leading juniors are allowed to
participate for their nation in the Junior
Fed Cup and Davis Cup competitions. To succeed in tennis often means
having to begin playing at a young age. To facilitate and nurture a junior's
growth in tennis, almost all tennis playing nations have developed a junior development
system. Juniors develop their play through a range of tournaments on all
surfaces, accommodating all different standards of play. Talented juniors may
also receive sponsorships from governing bodies or private institutions.
Macthplay
Continuity
A tennis match is intended to be
continuous. Because stamina is a relevant factor, arbitrary delays are not
permitted. In most cases, service is required to occur no more than 20 seconds
after the end of the previous point.This is increased to 90 seconds when the
players change ends (after every odd-numbered game), and a 2-minute break is
permitted between sets. Other than this, breaks are permitted only when forced
by events beyond the players' control, such as rain, damaged footwear, damaged
racket, or the need to retrieve an errant ball. Should a player be determined
to be stalling repeatedly, the chair umpire may initially give a warning
followed by subsequent penalties of "point", "game", and
default of the match for the player who is consistently taking longer than the
allowed time limit.
In the event of a rain delay,
darkness or other external conditions halting play, the match is resumed at a
later time, with the same score as at the time of the delay, and the players at
the same end of the court when rain halted play, or at the same position (north
or south) if play is resumed on a different court.
Ball changes
Balls wear out quickly in serious
play and, therefore, in ATP
and WTA
tournaments, they are changed after every nine games with the first change
occurring after only seven games, because the first set of balls is also used
for the pre-match warm-up As a courtesy to the receiver, the server will often
signal to the receiver before the first serve of the game in which new balls
are used as a reminder that they are using new balls. However, in ITF
tournaments like Fed Cup, the balls are changed in a 9–11 style.
Continuity of the balls' condition is considered part of the game, so if a
re-warm-up is required after an extended break in play (usually due to rain),
then the re-warm-up is done using a separate set of balls, and use of the match
balls is resumed only when play resumes.
On-court coaching
A recent rule change is to allow
coaching on court on a limited basis during a match. This has been introduced
in women's tennis for WTA Tour
events in 2009 and allows the player to request her coach once per set.
Shots
A
competent tennis player has eight basic shots in his or her repertoire: the
serve, forehand, backhand, volley, half-volley, overhead smash, drop shot, and
lob.
Grip
A grip
is a way of holding the racket in order to hit shots during a match. The grip
affects the angle of the racket face when it hits the ball and influences the
pace, spin, and placement of the shot. Players use various grips during play,
including the Continental (The "Handshake Grip"), Eastern (Can be
either semi-eastern or full eastern. Usually used for backhands.), and Western
(semi-western or full western, usually for forehand grips) grips. Most players
change grips during a match depending on what shot they are hitting; for
example, slice shots and serves call for a Continental grip.
Serve
Martina Navrátilová featured on a Paraguayan stamp
A
serve (or, more formally, a "service") in tennis is a shot to start a
point. The serve is initiated by tossing the ball into the air and hitting it
(usually near the apex of its trajectory) into the diagonally opposite service
box without touching the net. The serve may be hit under- or overhand although
underhand serving remains a rarity If the ball hits the net on the first serve
and bounces over into the correct diagonal box then it is called a
"let" and the server gets two more additional serves to get it in.
There can also be a let if the server serves the ball and the receiver isn't
prepared. If the server misses his or her first serve and gets a let on the
second serve, then they get one more try to get the serve in the box.
Experienced
players strive to master the conventional overhand serve to maximize its power
and placement. The server may employ different types of serve including flat
serve, topspin serve, slice serve, and kick (American twist) serve. A reverse
type of spin serve is hit in a manner that spins the ball opposite the natural
spin of the server, the spin direction depending upon right- or
left-handedness. If the ball is spinning counterclockwise, it will curve right
from the hitter's point of view and curve left if spinning clockwise. Some
servers are content to use the serve simply to initiate the point; however,
advanced players often try to hit a winning shot with their serve. A winning
serve that is not touched by the opponent is called an "ace".
Forehand
For a
right-handed player, the forehand is a stroke that begins on the right side of
the body, continues across the body as contact is made with the ball, and ends
on the left side of the body. There are various grips for executing the forehand, and their
popularity has fluctuated over the years. The most important ones are the continental, the eastern, the semi-western, and the western.
For a number of years, the small, frail 1920s player Bill Johnston
was considered by many to have had the best forehand of all time, a stroke that
he hit shoulder-high using a western
grip. Few top players used the western
grip after the 1920s, but in the latter part of the 20th century, as
shot-making techniques and equipment changed radically, the western forehand made a strong
comeback and is now used by many modern players. No matter which grip is used,
most forehands are generally executed with one hand holding the racket, but
there have been fine players with two-handed forehands. In the 1940s and 50s,
the Ecuadorian/American player Pancho Segura used a two-handed forehand to achieve
a devastating effect against larger, more powerful players. Players such as Monica Seles or France's Fabrice Santoro and Marion Bartoli are also notable players known for
their two-handed forehands.
Backhand
Andy Murray hitting a two-handed backhand.
For
right-handed players, the backhand is a stroke that begins on the left side of
their body, continues across their body as contact is made with the ball, and
ends on the right side of their body. It can be executed with either one hand
or with both and is generally considered more difficult to master than the
forehand. For most of the 20th century, the backhand was performed with one
hand, using either an eastern
or a continental grip. The
first notable players to use two hands were the 1930s Australians Vivian McGrath and John Bromwich, but they were lonely exceptions. The
two-handed grip gained popularity in the 1970s as Björn Borg, Chris Evert, Jimmy Connors, and later Mats Wilander and Marat Safin used it to great effect, and it is now
used by a large number of the world's best players, including Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams.
Two
hands give the player more control, while one hand can generate a slice shot,
applying backspin on the ball to produce a low trajectory bounce. Reach is also
limited with the two-handed shot. The player long considered to have had the
best backhand of all time, Don Budge, had a powerful one-handed stroke in
the 1930s and 1940s that imparted topspin onto the ball. Ken Rosewall, another player noted for his
one-handed backhand, used a very accurate slice backhand through the 1950s and
1960s. A small number of players, notably Monica Seles, use two hands on both the backhand
and forehand sides.
Other shots
A
competent tennis player has eight basic shots in his or her repertoire: the
serve, forehand, backhand, volley, half-volley, overhead smash, drop shot, and
lob.
Grip
A grip
is a way of holding the racket in order to hit shots during a match. The grip
affects the angle of the racket face when it hits the ball and influences the
pace, spin, and placement of the shot. Players use various grips during play,
including the Continental (The "Handshake Grip"), Eastern (Can be
either semi-eastern or full eastern. Usually used for backhands.), and Western
(semi-western or full western, usually for forehand grips) grips. Most players
change grips during a match depending on what shot they are hitting; for
example, slice shots and serves call for a Continental grip.
Serve
Martina Navrátilová featured on a Paraguayan stamp
A
serve (or, more formally, a "service") in tennis is a shot to start a
point. The serve is initiated by tossing the ball into the air and hitting it
(usually near the apex of its trajectory) into the diagonally opposite service
box without touching the net. The serve may be hit under- or overhand although
underhand serving remains a rarity. If the ball hits the net on the first serve
and bounces over into the correct diagonal box then it is called a
"let" and the server gets two more additional serves to get it in.
There can also be a let if the server serves the ball and the receiver isn't
prepared. If the server misses his or her first serve and gets a let on the
second serve, then they get one more try to get the serve in the box.
Experienced
players strive to master the conventional overhand serve to maximize its power
and placement. The server may employ different types of serve including flat
serve, topspin serve, slice serve, and kick (American twist) serve. A reverse type
of spin serve is hit in a manner that spins the ball opposite the natural spin
of the server, the spin direction depending upon right- or left-handedness. If
the ball is spinning counterclockwise, it will curve right from the hitter's
point of view and curve left if spinning clockwise.
Some
servers are content to use the serve simply to initiate the point; however,
advanced players often try to hit a winning shot with their serve. A winning
serve that is not touched by the opponent is called an "ace".
Forehand
For a
right-handed player, the forehand is a stroke that begins on the right side of
the body, continues across the body as contact is made with the ball, and ends
on the left side of the body. There are various grips for executing the forehand, and their
popularity has fluctuated over the years. The most important ones are the continental, the eastern, the semi-western, and the western.
For a number of years, the small, frail 1920s player Bill Johnston
was considered by many to have had the best forehand of all time, a stroke that
he hit shoulder-high using a western
grip. Few top players used the western
grip after the 1920s, but in the latter part of the 20th century, as
shot-making techniques and equipment changed radically, the western forehand made a strong
comeback and is now used by many modern players. No matter which grip is used,
most forehands are generally executed with one hand holding the racket, but
there have been fine players with two-handed forehands. In the 1940s and 50s,
the Ecuadorian/American player Pancho Segura used a two-handed forehand to achieve
a devastating effect against larger, more powerful players. Players such as Monica Seles or France's Fabrice Santoro and Marion Bartoli are also notable players known for
their two-handed forehands.
Backhand
Andy Murray hitting a two-handed backhand.
For
right-handed players, the backhand is a stroke that begins on the left side of
their body, continues across their body as contact is made with the ball, and
ends on the right side of their body. It can be executed with either one hand
or with both and is generally considered more difficult to master than the
forehand. For most of the 20th century, the backhand was performed with one
hand, using either an eastern
or a continental grip. The
first notable players to use two hands were the 1930s Australians Vivian McGrath and John Bromwich, but they were lonely exceptions. The
two-handed grip gained popularity in the 1970s as Björn Borg, Chris Evert, Jimmy Connors, and later Mats Wilander and Marat Safin used it to great effect, and it is now
used by a large number of the world's best players, including Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams
Two
hands give the player more control, while one hand can generate a slice shot,
applying backspin on the ball to produce a low trajectory bounce. Reach is also
limited with the two-handed shot. The player long considered to have had the
best backhand of all time, Don Budge, had a powerful one-handed stroke in
the 1930s and 1940s that imparted topspin onto the ball. Ken Rosewall, another player noted for his
one-handed backhand, used a very accurate slice backhand through the 1950s and 1960s.
A small number of players, notably Monica Seles, use two hands on both the backhand
and forehand sides.
Other shots
A volley is a
shot returned to the opponent in mid-air before the ball bounces, generally
performed near the net, and is usually made with a stiff-wristed punching
motion to hit the ball into an open area of the opponent's court. The half volley is
made by hitting the ball on the rise just after it has bounced, also generally
in the vicinity of the net, and played with the racket close to the ground. The
swinging volley is hit out of
the air as the player approaches the net. It is an offensive shot used to take
preparation time away from the opponent, as it returns the ball into the
opponent's court much faster than a standard volley.
From a
poor defensive position on the baseline, the lob can
be used as either an offensive or defensive weapon, hitting the ball high and
deep into the opponent's court to either enable the lobber to get into better
defensive position or to win the point outright by hitting it over the
opponent's head. If the lob is not hit deeply enough into the other court,
however, an opponent near the net may then hit an overhead smash, a
hard, serve-like shot, to try to end the point.
A
difficult shot in tennis is the return of an attempted lob over the backhand
side of a player. When the contact point is higher than the reach of a two-handed
backhand, most players will try to execute a high slice (under the ball or
sideways). Fewer players attempt the backhand sky-hook or smash. Rarely, a
player will go for a high topspin backhand, while themselves in the air. A
successful execution of any of these alternatives requires balance and timing,
with less margin of error than the lower contact point backhands, since this
shot is a break in the regular pattern of play.
If an
opponent is deep in his court, a player may suddenly employ an unexpected drop shot, by
softly tapping the ball just over the net so that the opponent is unable to run
in fast enough to retrieve it. Advanced players will often apply back spin to a
drop shot, causing the ball to "skid" upon landing and bounce
sideways, with less forward momentum toward their opponent, or even backwards
towards the net, thus making it even more difficult to return.
No comments:
Post a Comment