Tennis Essay, Research Paper

tennis

indoor or outdoor game for two players (singles) or four players (doubles). Although originally lawn tennis was played only on grass courts, today the surfaces are more often of clay, asphalt, or synthetics. The court measures 78 ft by 27 ft (23.8 m by 8.2 m) for singles play; it is 4.5 ft (1.4 m) wider for doubles. A net 3 ft (91 cm) high in the middle divides the court laterally. Play is directed toward hitting the inflated, felt-covered ball (about the size of a baseball) with an oval-headed, fiber-strung racket into the opponent’s court so that he or she cannot make a proper return. Points are scored in the progression 15, 30, 40, and game, with six games required to take a set. Usually, three set victories decide a match in men’s play, two set victories in women’s play. Modern tennis was developed in 1873 by an Englishman, Major Walter C. Wingfield, who borrowed from older forms of the game. The first world championship, held (1877) at Wimbledon, England, became the famous tournament of that name. In the U.S., where tennis was introduced in 1874, the national men’s championship has been contested since 1881, the women’s since 1887. The Davis Cup international team competition (begun in 1900) focused world attention on the sport. Major tournaments, originally restricted to amateurs, have been open to professionals since 1968. Tennis has been an Olympic sport since 1988.