Sports (tennis)

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 maneuver 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 today called real tennis. During most of the 19th century, in fact, the term
tennis referred to real tennis, not lawn tennis.
The rules of modern 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, a system known as Hawk-Eye.
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 also played on hard courts.

The history of tennis

Historians believe that the game's ancient origin lay in 12th century northern France, where a
ball was struck with the palm of the hand. Louis X of France was a keen player of jeu de
paume ("game of the palm"), which evolved into real tennis, and became notable as the first
person to construct indoor tennis courts in the modern style. Louis was unhappy with playing
tennis outdoors and accordingly had indoor, enclosed courts made in Paris "around the end of
the 13th century". In due course this design spread across royal palaces all over Europe. In
June 1316 at Vincennes, Val-de-Marne and following a particularly exhausting game, Louis
drank a large quantity of cooled wine and subsequently died of either pneumonia or pleurisy,
although there was also suspicion of poisoning. Because of the contemporary accounts of his
death, Louis X is history's first tennis player known by name. Another of the early enthusiasts
of the game was King Charles V of France, who had a court set up at the Louvre Palace.
It was not until the 16th century that rackets came into use and the game began to be called
"tennis", from the French term tenez, which can be translated as "hold!", "receive!" or "take!",
an interjection used as a call from the server to his opponent. It was popular in England and
France, although the game was only played indoors where the ball could be hit off the wall.
Henry VIII of England was a big fan of this game, which is now known as real tennis.
During the 18th and early 19th centuries, as real tennis declined, new racket sports emerged in
England.
The invention of the first lawn mower in 1830, in Britain, is believed to have been a catalyst,
for the preparation of modern-style grass courts, sporting ovals, playing fields, pitches,
greens, etc. This in turn led to the codification of modern rules for many sports, including
lawn tennis, most football codes, lawn bowls and others.

The equipment
Part of the appeal of tennis stems from the simplicity of equipment required for play.
Beginners need only a racket and balls.

Rackets
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 oversized 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 (74 cm) in length and
12.5 inches (32 cm) 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 (81 cm) until 1997, when it was shortened to 29 inches (74 cm).
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
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 in). Balls must weigh between 56.0 and 59.4 g (1.98 and 2.10 oz). 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. Tournaments that are played under the ITF Rules of Tennis
must use balls that are approved by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and be named
on the official ITF list of approved tennis balls.

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.

Manner of play
Court
Tennis is played on a rectangular, flat surface. The court is 78 feet (23.77 m) long, and 27 feet
(8.2 m) wide for singles matches and 36 ft (11 m) for doubles matches.[46] 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 cord or metal cable of diameter no greater than 0.8 cm (1⁄3
in). The net is 3 feet 6 inches (1.07 m) high at the posts and 3 feet (0.91 m) high in the center.
The net posts are 3 feet (0.91 m) outside the doubles court on each side or, for a singles net, 3
feet (0.91 m) outside the singles court on each side.
The modern tennis court owes its design to Major Walter Clopton Wingfield. In 1873,
Wingfield 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; they are the boundaries for doubles matches. The lines to the
inside of the doubles sidelines are the singles sidelines, and are the boundaries in singles play.
The area between a doubles sideline and the nearest singles sideline is called the doubles
alley, 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,
they have to hit the ball into one of these when serving. A ball is out only if none of it has hit
the area inside the lines, or the line, upon its first bounce. All lines are required to be between
1 and 2 inches (25 and 51 mm) in width, with the exception of the baseline which can be up to
4 inches (100 mm) wide, although in practice it is often the same width as the others.

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.
For a service to be legal, the ball must travel over the net without touching it 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" when a player's foot touches the baseline or an extension of the center mark
before the ball is hit. If the second service, after a fault, 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 a player hitting the ball so that it falls in the server's court, before it has
bounced twice or hit any fixtures except the net. A player or team cannot hit the ball twice in
a row. The ball must travel over or round the net into the other players' court. A ball that hits
the net during a rally is 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 -Game, set, match

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", "15", "30", and "40", respectively. If
at least three points have been scored by each player, making the player's scores equal at 40
apiece, the score is not called out as "40–40", 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; alternatively, either player may simply call out "my ad" or
"your ad" during informal play.
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., "15-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 (tying the set 6–6) 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 US. 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. 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 French Open, the Olympic Games,
and Fed Cup are tie-breaks not played. In these cases, sets are played indefinitely until one
player has a two-game lead, occasionally 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 or advantage), 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. Except where tie-breaks apply, at least one break of serve is
required to win a set (otherwise a two-game lead would never occur).

Rule variations
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, ATP tours,
WTA tours, ITF Pro Doubles and ITF Junior Doubles.[55][56]
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 (also called super 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, Grand Slams (excluding Wimbledon) and the
Olympic Games for mixed doubles; on the ATP (since 2006), WTA (since 2007) and ITF
(excluding four Grand Slam tournaments and the Davis Cup) tours for doubles and as a
player's choice in USTA league play.
Fast4
Fast4 is a shortened format that offers a "fast" alternative, with four points, four games and
four rules: there are no advantage scores, lets are played, tie-breakers apply at three games all
and the first to four games wins the set.
Another, however informal, tennis format is called Canadian doubles. This involves three
players, with one person playing against 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 for 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, each player taking a turn at playing alone against the other two. 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.

10 most popular tennis players

 Roger Federer
 Rafael Nadal
 Novak Djokovic
 Rod Laver
 Pete Sampras
 Bjorn Borg
 Ivan Lendl
 Jimmy Connors

Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennis