Tennis is a sport that originated in England around the 19th century and is now played in a host of countries around the world. There are four major tournaments known as the ‘majors’ that include Wimbledon, US Open, French Open, and the Australian tournament. One needs to score four points to win a game of tennis. The points are known as 15 (1 point), 30 (two points), 40 (three points), and the fourth would result in the winning point and the end of that game. If the scores went to 40-40 this would be known as a deuce. When a game reaches deuce the player must then win by two clear points. To win the game one must win a certain amount of sets (best of three for women’s matches and best of 5 sets for men’s matches). Winning a set is simply the first player to reach 6 games but must be clear by at least 2 games. If the opponent wins 5 games one must win the set 7-5. If the set goes to 6-6 then a tiebreak is played and it’s simply the first player to 7 points. One can always refer to the following rules for an excellent game of play.
- The game starts with a coin toss to determine which player must serve first and which side they want to serve from.
- The server must then serve each point from alternative sides on the baseline. At no point must the server’s feet move in front of the baseline on the court prior to hitting their serve.
- If the server fails to get their first serve in they may take advantage of a second serve. If they again fail to get their second serve in then a double fault will be called and the point lost.
- If the server clips the net but the ball goes in the service area still then let is called and they get to take that serve again without penalty. If the ball hits the net and fails to go in the service area then out is called and they lose that serve.
- The receiver may stand where they wish upon receipt of the serve. If the ball is struck without the serve bouncing then the server will receive the point.
- Once a serve has been made the number of shots between the players can be unlimited. The point is won by hitting the ball so the opponent fails to return it in the scoring areas.
- Points are awarded in scores of 15, 30, and 40. 15 represent 1 point, 30 = 2 and 40 = 3. One needs 4 points to win a game. If a game lands on 40-40 it’s known as a deuce. From the deuce, a player needs to win 2 consecutive points to win the game. After winning one point from a deuce the player is an advantage. If the player wins the next point they win the game, if they lose it goes back to deuce.
- To win the set a player must win 6 games by 2 or more. The opening sets will go to a tiebreak if it ends up 6-6 where players play first to 7 points. The final set will not have a tiebreak and requires players to win by two games with no limits.
- If a player touches the net, distracts his opponent, or impedes in any way then they automatically lose the point.
- The ball can hit any part of the line for the point to be called in, outside the line and the ball is out.
- The balls in a tennis match are changed for new balls every 6 games
- A player loses a point if they fail to return the ball in either the correct areas on the court, hits the net and doesn’t go into the opponent’s area, or fails to return the ball before it bounces twice in their half.