Tennis
Tennis is an Olympic sport. Tennis can be played individually, played with a partner (doubles), male and female (mixed doubles), even people with wheelchairs can play. Players use a tennis racquet that is strung with cord to strike a tennis ball. Tennis originated in the late 19th Century in Birmingham, England. Tennis is played by millions of players, and is a popular worldwide spectator sport. The best tennis players play in majors. Between majors they play minor tournaments to increase their skill level and become well-known.
Measurements of the court
Tennis is played on a rectangular flat surface grass, clay, a hard court of concrete, asphalt and sometimes carpet (indoor). The court is 23.77m long and 8.23m wide for singles matches and 10.97m wide for doubles matches. A net is placed across the middle of the court dividing it in two which is held by two metal posts at either end and can be no longer than 1.07m high at the posts and 0.914m high in the middle.
Lines on the court
The lines that delineate the width of the court are called the baseline (furthest lines back) and the service line (middle of the court). The outermost lines that make up the length of the court are called the doubles sidelines. With two players on either side a bit more space is required so these lines are called into play. The lines inside these double lines are the singles lines. With only one player either side less space is required so the doubles sidelines are taken out of play and the boundary is the singles lines. The area between the doubles sidelines and the singles line is called the doubles alley. This area can be used in doubles tennis only. The line that runs across horizontally on the middle of your side of the court is the service line, and serves can't bounce any closer to you than that line. The line dividing the service line in two is called the centre service line. This creates two boxes which are called service boxes. Depending on the players position they have to serve into either of these boxes. If the ball is served and bounces outside of the box it is called a fault. All the lines around the entire court are 51mm in width. If the ball touches and of the line it is considered in, if it doesn't touch the line on a bounce it is out.
Play of a single point
The players start on opposite sides of the net. One player is designated server and the other player the receiver. This is determined by a coin toss before the beginning of the match, the winner of the coin toss chooses which one they want to be or which side they want to start on. The server must start behind the baseline between the centre mark and the sideline. The receiver will need to be facing the first serve in a position where his forehand will be hitting the ball; only for the first serve. The server will serve it in that service box and the receiver must return the ball back using the racquet, the ball must land within the singles court, any where outside this is considered out and the player who served the ball will receive a point. Also if the serve hits the net and bounces anywhere other than the service box it is considered a fault, if the ball hits the net and lands in the service box it is a 'let' and it is not a fault and the player replays his first serve. The server receives two serves and a failure on both will be called a double fault and the receiver will receive a point. The player who served the ball will then return the ball again trying to keep the ball in the boundaries and so on. This will continue until someone hits the ball out. During play if the ball hits the net and still bounces within the boundaries it is play on. The ball is also allowed to go around the net and inside the court as seen in this clip below.
Scoring - Game, set and 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", "fifteen", "thirty" and "forty" 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. The score of a tennis game during play is always read with the serving player's score first (e.g "forty-love: this means that the server has forty points and the receiver is yet to score a point).
Set
A set consists of a sequence of games played, ending when the amount of games meets a certain criteria. A player will win a set if they have won six games and at least two games more than the opponent. For example if the game score is 6-5, the player who has won the six games will need to win the next game to win the set. However if the player who has won five games wins the next game the game score will be 6-6. This results in a tie-break. A tie-break is first to seven points, each shot that is won counts as a point. To win the tiebreak you must be two points or more in front of your opponent once you reach seven points.
Match
A match consists of a sequence of sets. The outcome is determined through a best of three or five sets system. In the majors, men play best of five set matches, and women play best of three set matches. In other tournaments men play best of three set matches and women play best of two set matches. The first player to win two sets in a best of three, or three sets in a best of five match wins the match.
Officials
Umpire
The umpire sits on a tall chair located to the side of the net off the court. The umpire calls the points aloud to inform the players on the score, and also has the ability to overrule any decisions that may be incorrect from the line judges around the court. Players are allowed to challenge a call if they believe the umpire has made the wrong decision (e.g the ball going out, but they think it was in). Each player gets three challenges per set.
Ball boys and girls
Ball boys and girls retrieve the balls that have been hit around the court. Ball boys and girls also hand the players towels when asked. They stand either side of the net, and three stand either side of court near the baseline.