Tennis is often considered an elite sport, but despite appearances, it is played by both professionals and amateurs on courts around the world.
This racquet sport has gained popularity in Romania after its successes.
Are you taking your first steps in tennis or just starting to watch matches and want to get a better idea of what the game is all about? Learn about the rules of the game of tennis, how points are scored, how to serve, and the basics of tennis .
The history of tennis
The origins of tennis can be traced back to the medieval court game jeu de paume (“hand game”), which was most popularly played in France. In the 16th century, the game was supplemented with rockets.
The history of modern tennis dates back to the 19th century, when the first official rules of the game were drawn up in England, including replacing the two trapeze court with a rectangular version.
The game, known as “real tennis”, was accessible to the few and was usually played on specially laid out courts in castles or noble residences. As time passed and tennis grew in popularity, new rules of play and improvements were introduced, and the first tournament on a court adapted for outdoor play was held in 1874 on the Wimbledon court in London.
At the same time, standard sizes of tennis courts and rackets were also established. In 1924, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) was established to oversee and regulate tournaments at various levels.
In 1968, professional tennis was introduced, and players had the opportunity to win the so-called Grand Slam, i.e. 4 Grand Slam tournaments in a calendar year: Australian Open, French Open (Roland Garros), Wimbledon and US Open .
Types of tennis courts and games
In tennis there are 3 basic types of games :
- individual/ single game – the game involves two male or two tennis players. They play on a field with a length of 23.77 meters and a width of 8.23 meters;
- doubles/doubles – the competition is between teams of two players of the same sex. The match is played on a pitch of 23.77 x 10.97 m;
- mixed game – the team consists of a pair of players (male-female tennis player) and the game is played on a court 23.77 m long and 10.97 m wide.
In addition, we also have wheelchair tennis , where players play singles or doubles in dedicated wheelchairs, beach tennis or American doubles (played between three players – 2:1) .
Regarding the types of pitches, due to the so-called surface speed (the speed with which the ball bounces off the ground and which dictates the pace and style of play), we divide them into :
- slag/earth/so-called flour (Clay) – the distinctive orange surface (in the US it is colored green) is described as the slowest due to the fact that it causes a loss of ricochet speed due to the roughness. At the same time, the ball bounces up after contact with the flour. The surface allows for sliding. Clay courts (eg Roland Garros) are usually used for long, spectacular matches;
- grass (Grass) – the fastest type of surface, which is found, among others, on the Wimbledon courts. Due to the low and dynamic ricochet of the ball, playing on a grass court requires quick reactions and usually involves short exchanges;
- hard (Hard) – made of acrylic (such as Australian Open courts), concrete or asphalt, is a type of fast or medium speed surface. The smooth surface makes the ball bounce fast and medium-high. On hard ground, there is no possibility of slipping, which implies, among other things: stronger footwork and more steps;
- carpet (Carpet) – they are in the form of, for example, artificial grass or carpet and can be laid out like a traditional carpet. They are used to build courts for indoor tennis events. This type of surface is characterized by a fast ricochet and a low or medium-high ricochet, but also by the ease of timing the ball.
Tennis – rules of the game
In our article we will analyze the basic rules of tennis. The game is played on a rectangular field, specially prepared, which has markings in the form of :
- baselines – located farthest from the net and placed parallel to it. Measure 10.16 cm in width;
- lateral lines – determine the lateral extent of the playing field in singles;
- service lines (in other words, passes) – are at a distance of 6.40 m from the net;
- the median line – passes vertically through the center of the field, dividing it into two equal halves;
- doubles corridor – the area of the court between the sideline of the singles game and the sideline of the doubles/mixed doubles game;
- service penalty – the area of the court between the singles sideline, the service line and the service sideline.
In the middle of the pitch is a net fixed to posts, which is suspended at a height of 1.07 m on the sides and lowered to a height of 0.914 m in the middle of the pitch .
Before the start of the match, the players sitting at the net draw the halves of the court. The match umpire flips a coin and, depending on what lands and which player has chosen a particular side, wins the right to choose the side of the court or the privilege of serving first .
Service
It is the game of one of the players (the serving player) that initiates the exchange. It must be done behind the service line (when the foot steps on the line we have the so-called foot fault), the ball must be hit above the level of the head and hit with it in a certain area on the opposite side of the court . There are several types of serves in tennis : flat, topspin or slice. The ball after a serve must cross the net and touch the opposite court to score a point. If the ball bounces off the net and lands in the opposite court, there is a net and a second serve . If the repeated service is incorrect (the so-called double service fault, when the ball falls into the net on the service side, touches the net or falls outside the playing surface, etc.), the point is awarded to the opponent .
In the case of a doubles or mixed doubles game, the players of a team designate a server in the first game. The other player will then serve in the third game. The opposing team starts the game in the second and fourth games .
scores
Points in tennis are earned by winning matches and sets, and the system is based on a sequence of points that take on values of :
- 0 – missing point;
- 15 – 1 point;
- 30 – 2 points;
- 40 – 3 points;
- jam – 4 points.
For example, in tennis we can have scores: 15-0, 15-15, 15-30, 40-15, 30-40; And so on In the event of a 40-40 score, the so-called tie , a “deuce” occurs . In this situation, a player must win the next point, but must do so twice in a row to win the game. Another method of playing a set in a tie situation is the so-called tie-break , where the game is played until one of the players has 7 points and a two-point lead over the opponent .
A set is won after 6 games are won and the match continues until a player wins 2 or 3 sets (eg men’s Australian Open or Davis Cup matches). Match point is the match ball, the game that separates a player from winning the entire match.
Each exchange is aimed at hitting the ball in such a way that the opponent fails to pick it up, or ricochets it in such a way that it cannot fly to the other side of the court over the net, or touch the surface twice on the side of the thrower. it ricochets .
A break point is a situation in a game where the serving player has a chance to break the opponent’s serve and win the game (eg at 30-40). If he uses the break point and wins the opponent’s game, he wins the game with the break point, which means he has taken the opponent’s serve and gained an advantage in the match. On the other hand, if the serving player defends the break point and wins the game, the opponent does not win the break point and the game continues . If a player wins a set at “0” it is called a “bagel” , and if he gives up the match for health reasons, we are dealing with a “chalk” .
Changing parts
The change of parts of the field takes place :
- after the first, third and any subsequent odd games during a set;
- at the end of a set, unless the total number of games in the set is equal, in which case the change occurs at the end of the first game of the next set;
- in a tie-break, the change of sides occurs after every six points played.
breaks
After a point is scored, a break in tennis is at most 20 seconds, when changing sides of the court it is 90 seconds, and after the end of the set, players can rest for 120 seconds. If a player is injured, he can request a so-called medical time-out , a medical break .
The basic games in tennis
In addition to the serve, the game that starts the entire shift, the tennis ball can be hit in several other ways :
- forehand/forehend – is the basic hitting of the ball using the inside of the racket. A right-handed player executes the forehand with the right hand, and a left-handed player executes the forehand with – the left hand;
- backhand/beckhand – Another elemental ball shot, this time using the outside of the racquet. A left-handed tennis player hits from the right side, while a right-handed player hits – from the left side. The backhand can be played with one or both hands;
- service ace – passing the ball in such a way as to make it impossible for an opponent to touch and reject it;
- volley – involves hitting the ball in flight before it hits the court. A volley is usually performed in response to a short shot by the opponent or while playing at the net. You can hit a forehand or backhand volley;
- lob – in this tennis game, the ball has to pass the opponent, flying over him and falling as close to the end line as possible. A lob is most often played when the opponent is close to the net;
- slice – a game that gives the ball a so-called reverse spin. After a slice, the ball falls down on the opponent’s side and loses speed, which makes it difficult for the opponent to recover effectively;
- passing shot – in this game, the ball must pass sideways to the opponent when he is near the net or in a difficult position where he wants to play on the bottom line;
- return – pierwsze uderzenie piłki po serwisie przeciwnika;
- smash – involves hitting the ball at its highest point of flight;
- drop shot/short – to play the ball in such a way that it falls just behind the opponent’s net. The drop shot is usually used when the opponent is near or behind the end line;
- cross – hitting the ball in such a way that it flies diagonally across the field;
- drive – a tennis shot in which the hit ball flies towards the opponent at high speed and with a slight spin;
- topspin – a bottom-up shot that gives the ball upward spin and considerable speed;
- tweener/hotdog – hitting the ball between the legs while the player’s back is to the court.
