Tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually
played between two players (singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles).
Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered
with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Object of the game is to play
the ball in such a way that the opponent is not able to play a good return.
Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all ages.
The sport can be played by anyone who can hold a racket, including people in
wheelchairs.
The modern game of tennis
originated in Birmingham, England in the late 19th century as "lawn tennis"
which has close connections to various field/lawn games as well as to the
ancient game of real tennis. Up to then, "tennis" referred to the
latter sport: for example, in Disraeli's novel Sybil (1845), Lord Eugene De
Vere announces that he will "go down to Hampton Court and play tennis. As
it is the Derby [classic horse race], nobody will be there". After its
creation, lawn tennis spread throughout the upper-class English-speaking
population before spreading around the world.
The rules of tennis have
not changed much 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
tie-break 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 challenge the line (or chair) umpire's call of a
point. Players have unlimited opportunities to challenge provided the
challenges made are correct. However, once three incorrect challenges are made
in a set, they cannot challenge again until the next set. If the set goes to a
tie-break, players are given one additional opportunity to challenge the call.
This electronic review, currently called Hawk-Eye, is available at a limited
number of high-level ATP and WTA tournaments.
Tennis is enjoyed by
millions of recreational players and is also a hugely popular worldwide
spectator sport, especially the four Grand Slam tournaments (also referred to
as the "Majors"): 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.
