History of Tennis

History of Tennis

• The sport originated in France, was developed in Britain, popularized in the United States, and became globally widespread
• During the 12th-13th centuries in France, missionaries played a game involving hitting a cloth-wrapped ball with their palms, separated by a rope
• During King Louis X's reign in France, tennis was a common pastime in the court
• Introduced to England from France during 1358-1360 for nobility
• England's Edward III was interested and ordered an indoor court in the palace
• The racket surface was changed to sheepskin and the ball changed from cloth to leather during this time
• The stringed racket was invented in the 15th century
• In the 16th century, ancient indoor tennis became the national ball of France
• Lawn tennis clubs were established in Wimbledon, outside London, England in 1877 and lawn tennis further developed in Britain
• The first Lawn Tennis Championships was held in July 1877, and was the first Wimbledon Championship
• The International Tennis Federation (ITF) was formed by 12 associations in Paris, France, in 1913
• International tennis rules were created in 1924 to promote tennis worldwide
• The International Tennis Association hosts the Davis Cup for men's teams, Association Cup for women's teams, and He Wen Cup for mixed teams
• The Association recognizes the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon Championships, and U.S. Open as Grand Slam tournaments

Grand Slam Tournaments

• Australian Open: Hardcourt court events in January, website: www.australianopen.com
• French Open: Clay tournament from May to June, website: https://www.rolandgarros.com/en-us/
• Wimbledon : Grass court events from June to July, website: http://www.wimbledon.com
• US Open: Hard court events from August to September, website: http://www.usopen.org/

Tennis Court Dimensions

• Standard court length is 23.77 meters (78 feet)
• Singles matches: 8.23 meters (27 feet) width
• Doubles matches: 10.97 meters (36 feet) width
• "Singles sidelines" and "doubles sidelines" refer to lines on the left and right sides
• The "bottom line" refers to the white lines at both ends of the pitch
• Both bottom lines are marked with a short middle boundary point
• Court surfaces consist of grass, clay and hard ground

Nets and Posts

• Nets with rope or steel cable divide the court
• The net posts are 1.07 meters (3.12 feet) high
• The net fills the space between the posts
• Mesh prevents the passage of the ball
• Center height of the net is 0.914 m (3 ft)
• Net is tightly bound with a strap
• Ropes, cables, and mesh are wrapped in harness and are white

Tennis Rackets

• Consists of a racket head, throat, and handle grip, used with tennis wires and shock absorbers
• Four grades in weight: L (light, 11-13 ounces), LM (medium light), M (medium, 13.5-13.75 ounces) and T (heavy, 14-15 ounces)
• Beginners typically choose light or medium rackets

Tennis Ball Types

• Competition tennis balls: hard and soft tennis
• Balls must align with the International Tennis Association and the International Olympic Committee instructions

Tennis Strings

• Woven like a net on the racket frame to hit the ball
• Common string materials: natural intestinal, nylon, or polyester
• Different materials, thicknesses, and tensile forces affect the feel, strength, spin, and durability

Gripping

• Align right index finger knuckle and heel of hand/palm root with grip position

Forehand Grip Techniques

• Eastern forehand grip: Right index finger root put 3
• Originated in the eastern United States, suitable for hitting at waist height
• Allows for control, used by coaches for beginners
• Semi-Western forehand grip: Right index finger root put 4
• Allows hitting the ball higher than the Eastern grip method
• Has strength of the East way grip method, and the characteristics of the Western way grip method is easy to spin up, in the professional tennis tour, many bottom-line strength players use this grip method to play

Forehand Hitting Technique

• Preparation: Feet shoulder width apart, weight on tiptoes, knees bent, racket in front, non-clapping hand holding neck
• Swing: Sideways with left foot diagonally forward, racket back and head higher than shoulder width
• Hitting: Adjust distance with tiny step, left foot in front, the contact point is next to the front of the left foot, the knee to the waist height, and the wrist is fixed
• After hitting the ball: The face of the shot should be swung along the trajectory of the ball.
• Follow through: The racket can end next to the left ear, the finger joint near the left ear, centre of gravity is the front foot, waist and shoulder are turned

One-Handed Backhand Grip

• Right index finger root put 1

One-Handed Backhand Hitting Technique

• Preparation: Feet shoulder width apart, weight on tiptoes, knees bent, racket in front of body, non-clapping hand pulling racket
• Swing: Turn shoulders and upper body left, swing racket back to left shoulder to determine ball bounce
• Hitting: Swing forward, contacting ball in front of right foot, between knee and waist
• After hitting the ball: Racket face swung forward, with elbows spread
• Follow through: Move weight forward, spread hands, lift the racket head upwards

Two-Handed Backhand Grip

• Lift index finger root put 7, right index finger root put 2

Two-Handed Backhand Hitting Technique

• Preparation: Feet shoulder width apart, weight on tiptoes, knees slightly bent, racket in front, non-clapping hand supporting neck racket
• Swing: Determine the ball bounce, swing sideways and backwards with both hands, racket slightly below the shot height
• Hitting: Step on the front foot to swing to hit, upper body rotation utilized, racket swung higher than the head, center of gravity lowered
• After hitting the ball: Racket faced is swung forward
• Follow through: Move weight forward, lift racket head forward, and close the right arm

Volley Gripping Technique

• Continental grip, right index finger root put 2

Volley Technique

• Preparation: 2 to 3 meters from the net, racket facing forward, relax body, pay attention to the ball
• Forehand volley: racket in front, spread feet, predict direction, hold racket tight, swing forward
• Backhand volley: racket in front, watch ball, balanced stance, lift the racket as the ball comes

Serve

• High-level matches emphasize serves
• Types: kick serve, slice serve, and flat serve
• Grip method: continental
• Ball holding method: Hold the tennis ball with your fingers that do not hold the racket.
• Preparation: Balance the back foot with the bottom line, point the forefoot at the net at a 45-degree angle,
• Ball holder and racket: Free hand holding the ball, dominant hand swinging racket.
• Hitting: Look up and hit the ball above the front of the right shoulder.
• Follow: the racket goes up first and then forward to the opposite side of the body.

Tennis Rules

• Server and receiver: Players on opposite sides of the net
• Side Selection: Decided by coin toss
• Winner may select to serve/receive or side
• Players warm up for 5 minutes before match
• Not walk or run to change positions during serves and only slight foot movement
• Not touching baseline or field with feet

Foot Faults

• Feet touching the sideline or middle-line extensions
• Penalty: "FOOT FAULT"
• Time limit: 25 seconds between segments
• First warning, then a fault
• Alternate time is 90 seconds and there is a single fault

Serve Area

• Players alternate serving sides from behind the baseline
• Each round begins on the right side
• The serve must cross the net and land in the service box
• A bad serve is corrected immediately

Player Loses Points If

• Two consecutive serving mistakes
• Fails to return the ball over the net before it bounces twice
• Hits the ball outside the boundaries
• Touches any fixed equipment
• Volleys before the ball crosses the net
• Touches the net
• Interferes with the ball
• Contacts the ball with anything besides the racket
• Any intentional racket deformation

Appeal System

• Eagle Eye system reviews challenged calls, showing ball flight
• Players receive three appeals per set and for seven-point tie-breaks
• Unlimited appeals for successful appeals

Game Scoring

• Matches are best-of-three/five
• Each set needs six games, and a lead of two
• If the score is 5:5, the winner is one who reaches 7:5
• Tiebreaker: Seven points and two-point difference required
• Four points win per game
• Scores indicate "LOVE" (zero), "fifteen" (one), "THIRTY" (two), and "forty" (three) points, if it is forty to forty, then it DEUCE.

Singles Strategies

• Rely on skills and use tactics that fit best
• Types are baseliner, volleyer and comprehensive

Baseliner

• An aggressive baseliner tends to take initiative
• Often uses faster shots and directs shots around the opposing side

Defensive Baseliner

• High-level athletes use defensive methods to maximize the possibility to return
• Stability is must, and reduces mistakes
• Must have a quick shift speed and a flexible speed

Volleyer

• Serve/volleyer have great volley
• Go to the net on serves
• Shoots well with interceptions

Comprehensive Player

• World-class players are a mixture of the baseliner and volleyer
• Take the initiative and uses base line stroke combined with volley
• Changes to serve-and-volley from baseline

Doubles Strategies

• Partner strategy is key
• There are three key positions

One Volley, One Baseline

• Basic formation, scorers near the net and the ball is protected
• Pros: netting is easy and the bottom line defends
• Can leave gaps and attack is easy

Two-Baseline

• The two players on the right and left and closer to the baseline
• Can use when disadvantaged
• Can react and play well to hanging balls

Double Volley

• Two players stand in the net.
• They have the capability to intercept well
• Puts pressure on the opponent and makes mistakes
• Can hit high-hanging balls for a smash