Tennis (Amateur) and Variations of

Tennis is a sport played by either two or four players on a professional or amateur basis, using a ball and racket and played on a court. The court can vary in surface from grass to clay to hard-court, which is either concrete and/or asphalt. Indoor courts can also be used to ensure play all year round. Tennis is a sport played by men and women, adults or children, either individually or as mixed doubles, and can be played by anyone who can hold a racket, including those using a wheelchair.

The origins of tennis can be traced back to the 12th century and a French game called Paume (palm), where players hit a small ball over a net using the palm of their hand. This game developed over the next three centuries to be known as real tennis, and instead of using the hand a strung racket is used. The racket tends to be held in either the left hand or right, depending which is the dominant. Only occasionally does the player use both hands. The main types of shots are forehand, backhand, and service. Service is the shot that starts the play.

The match comprises a number of sets, a set consists of a number of games, and the games in turn consist of points. These points are recorded in a specific way, which is “love” (zero), 15,30, and 40. If at least three points are scored by each player, the scores would be equal and that is known as “deuce.” Once deuce has been achieved, if another point is scored, it is called “advantage.” The winner of a set is normally the player who wins six games first and at least two more games than his opponent. The players take it in turn to serve these games. There are normally odd numbers of sets, for example, three or five to ensure a winner.

In England, Henry V began the royal interest in tennis, but Henry VIII had the greatest impact, as he had several courts built where he could play, including one in Hampton Court that was built in 1530. Tennis is featured in both art and literature of the time, including William Shakespeare mentioning it in his play Henry V. During the 17th century, real tennis was played by the nobility of France, Spain, Italy, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. However, in England, the Puritans were against the playing of it until the 18th century and early 19th century when real tennis died out, to be replaced by racquets, squash racquets, and the modern game of lawn tennis.

Lawn tennis, as it is known today, is believed to have developed out of two games, one developed by Major Harry Gem and Augurio Perera between 1859 and 1865, and another developed by Major Walter Clopton Wing-field in December 1873, who created a rule book for the game in 1874. It was Wingfield that established the vocabulary of tennis, much of it taken from the French. It was a game that rapidly spread among the leisured classes of [Page 712]Britain and the United States. The first recorded incident of a tennis match in the United States was in 1874. As interest in the game developed, clubs were set up in order to allow people to play competitively.

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