History of Tennis Sports:
- Tennis originated in France in the 11th century France.
- It was initially called "jeu de paume".
- The racquet was introduced to the game in the 16th century.
- The modern form of tennis came into being in the 19th century.
- In 1913, the International Lawn Tennis Federation (ILTF) evolved.
- In 1923, the official ILTF Rules of Tennis came into being.
- Both men and women compete in singles and doubles events.
- Olympics Tennis is open to all players.
The Tennis Court:
- The court shall be a rectangle.
- Length: 78 feet (23.77 m)
- Width for Singles matches: 27 feet (8.23 m)
- Width for Doubles matches: 36 feet (10.97 m)
- The court shall be divided across the middle by a net.
- Height of the net: 3 ½ feet (1.07 m)
- A white band shall cover the cord or metal cable and the top of the net.
- The cord or metal cable shall be no more than 1/3 inch (0.8 cm) in diameter.
- The width of the strap shall not exceed 2 inches (5 cm).
- The band shall be between 2 inches (5 cm) and 2 ½ inches (6.35 cm) deep on each side.
- Two lines shall be drawn between the singles sidelines.
- The service lines shall be parallel to the net and 21 feet (6.40 m) from each side of the net.
- The center service line shall be drawn parallel to the side service lines, half way between them.
- The centre service line and centre mark shall be 2 inches (5 cm) wide.
- The other lines of the court shall be between 1 inch (2.5 cm) and 2 inches (5 cm) wide.
- The baselines may be up to 4 inches (10 cm) wide.
- All lines should be same in color and bear contrast with the color of the court surface.
Rules of Tennis Sports:
Score in a Tennis Set:
Two main methods of scoring in a set are:
- Advantage Set
- Tie Breaker Set
Score in a Tennis Match:
A match can be played to:
- The best of 3 sets
- The best of 5 sets
Tennis Players Loses Points:
The point is lost if:
- The player serves two consecutive faults
- The player does not return the served ball and it bounces twice consecutively
- The player returns the ball in play but it bounces off the court.
- The player returns the ball in play but it hits a permanent fixture
- The receiver returns the service before it bounces
- The player deliberately carries or catches the ball in play on the racket or deliberately touches it with the racket more than once
- The player or the racket touches the net, net posts/singles sticks, cord or metal cable, strap or band, or the opponent's court at any time while the ball is in play
- The player hits the ball before it has passed the net
- The ball in play touches the player or anything except the racket
- The ball in play touches the racket when the player is not holding it
- The player deliberately and materially changes the shape of the racket when the ball is in play
- In doubles, both players touch the ball when returning it.
- A team captain may coach a player only during a set break.
- Captains are not allowed to coach after players change ends after the first game of each set or during a tie-break game.
Equipments for Tennis Sports:
Tennis Sports Events:
The following events are included in the program for Beijing Olympics 2008:
- Doubles Men
- Singles Men
- Doubles Women
- Singles Women
Venues for Tennis Sports:
- The tennis event of the 29th Olympic Games will be held at the Olympic Green Tennis Center in Beijing from August 10-17, 2008.
- The target for tennis is 172 athletes