ACOG - Tennis - IBM

Spectator's Guide to Tennis

Basic Rules of Tennis

A tennis match is made up of a series of contests between players, called games. A player must win four points _ by hitting an "unreturnable ball" over the net into the opponent's side of the court _ to win a game. A ball is unreturned if it's hit into the "good" area and the opponent hits the ball into the net or out of bounds, fails to return the ball or lets the ball bounce more than once. A coin toss determines who serves first and which side each player will start on. Players alternate serving for an entire game. The receiver also accrues points if the server sends two balls into the net or outside the service area _ called a double fault. If a player doesn't win before both reach three points (deuce), players' scoring alternates between ad-in and ad-out until one player wins by two points. The first player to win six games (by a margin of two games), wins a set. In the 1996 Olympic Games, players must win three sets to win a match, except in the finals for men's singles and doubles, in which they must win five sets. If a set is tied at six games, players alternate service in a tie-breaking game, with the one who first scores seven points (winning by two) prevailing.

In doubles play, the "good" area is wider, extending to the outside line. The pair that serves the first game decides which of them will serve. On the opposite side, the pair decides who will receive. During a game, partners alternate receiving the service. During a rally, either partner may return the ball.

Coin Toss

Unlike the racket spin popular in recreational play, in "serious" tennis, the umpire will toss a coin. The winner of the toss has a choice: to serve or receive, which side of the court they want to start on, or the little-known option of letting your opponent choose -- a psych-out option you'll rarely see players choose.

Scoring

At the service, the score is announced. Play begins at Love-Love, or 0-0. "Love" is from the word for egg in French, "l'oeuf." When one player has 40 or a one-point lead after "deuce," they have the "advantage." "Ad-in" means the person serving has the advantage; "ad-out" means the person receiving the serve has the advantage.
PointsTerm
ZeroLove
One15
Two30
Three40
Tied with 40Deuce
Server leadsAd-in
Receiver leadsAd-out

Is it a changeover?

Changeovers occur when the game total in a set is odd. At this point, players are given a 90-second break to sit down, towel off or take a rest before they switch to the other side of the court. For example, if the score is 3-2 (3+2=5, an odd number), a changeover occurs. If the score is 4-2 (4+2=6, even), a changeover does not occur.

The end of a set does not necessarily mean that it is a changeover. If a set ends at 6-3 (6+3=9, odd), a changeover occurs. If the set ends at 6-4 (6+4=10, even), a changeover does not occur and play is continuous. It is only a changeover if the sum of the total games at the end of a set is an odd number.

The conclusion of a tie breaker is always considered a changeover. When the players change ends in the middle of a tie breaker, it is not considered a changeover.

Surface Makes the Difference

There are many different surfaces in tennis, but the most common fall into three general categories: hard court, clay and grass. You can look at an international player's results at tournaments such as the U.S. Open (hard court), the French Open (red clay) and Wimbledon (grass) to determine which surface most suits his or her style.

Hard court play is fast with a high, consistent bounce. The courts are low-maintenance and considered all-weather courts, making them popular community and park surfaces. Clay court play has a slow, high bounce. While the surface is unplayable after hard rain, players like it because it's easy on their legs and feet. Grass is the fastest surface for play. A low bounce gives players a very short time to reach the ball. This surface also requires the most maintenance.

The Olympic courts are hard courts. The surface itself is made of plexipave, one of many hard court surfaces that promises greater cushion and durability than other hard court surfaces.

Shot Selection

At its simplest, tennis is all about making contact with the ball. After the serve, a player on the receiving end of a good ball has a few seconds to choose how to return it, based on how fast the ball is coming at them and how soon they can position themselves as well as the location of their opponent. Though it may look like all it takes to succeed at this game is a little hand-eye coordination, successful players need not only technique but strategy to outplay their competition. Successful strategy relies on knowing how to hit the ball when.

Groundstrokes

If the ball has bounced on his or her side of the net, a player has a decision to make. He or she may choose the drive, lob, drop shot, half volley or overhead smash to return the ball.

A drive should be fast, low and deep, with or without topspin. When done with backspin it's called a chop stroke, with underspin it's called a slice stroke or cut shot. When it twists to the side, it's a slice. The forehand drive returns the ball on the racket side of the body; the backhand drive requires turning the body to return a ball on the side opposite the racket.

A lob is a slower stroke that sends the ball over an opponent's head. Badly placed, it floats in the air long enough to give the opponent time to position for an overhead smash. The backhand corner near the baseline is the hardest to return. It can also be done before the ball bounces.

The half volley is used when a ball drops at your feet or when a player is so out of position that the ball is only an inch or two above ground when reached. Some people call this a pick-up. There is no swing to it; the player merely blocks the ball with the racket, using its momentum for the return.

Volleys

When a ball has made it over the net, but has not had a chance to bounce, a player may choose a horizontal, overhead, lob or stop volley, or may go for a smash. It can be forehand or backhand, and is used most often when playing at the net with the intention of winning a point.

If the ball is coming fast at the player, they may try a horizontal lob; a ball dropping slowly begs for a smash. The smash is a killing stroke meant to end play; the overhead volley sacrifices some power to maintain control.

A stop volley barely drops the ball over the net, out of reach of a deep player. A similar stroke can be made as a ground shot, but it is much more difficult to master.

Service Strokes

These are used to put the ball in play. The important elements of a serve include a player's grip, stance, toss and swing. Most players try to vary their serves to keep their opponent on their toes. They may use a slice, flat or twist serve. Some players aim for an ace, or unreturnable service, followed by a tamer second service.

Placement of the ball can take advantage of an opponent's weaknesses _ something you'll see often when players are familiar with their opponent's style. The key is to keep an opponent off balance and guessing.

A player changes the serve by varying how the racket meets the ball and follows through. The slice spins to the side and curves to the left away from an opponent's forehand. The flat service is risky _ a straight powerful blast barely clearing the net sometimes called the cannonball. The American twist has a high arc and fast spin which bounces the ball away from the direction it curves, usually to the backhand.

Ranking System

The men's and women's ranking systems differ. Men are ranked on their 14 best tournaments according to a sliding calendar, so they have room for a bad day. Grand Slams weigh the most, followed by the Super 9 on the ATB Tour. Women follow a purer system, where every game is entered into a computer that calculates their rank. This sometimes leads to women refusing to play when they're afraid it will affect their rank.

Ball Boys and Girls

The first time, they hold their breath and can't believe they're standing this close to AGASSI or GRAF, but make no mistake, ball persons are pros in their own right.

These 120 14- to 20-year-olds were recruited throughout Georgia and trained extensively to be quick, retrieve and roll balls accurately, be graciously yelled at by the top players in the world, pick up dirty towels, be quiet, stand still and generally become invisible. The volunteer system has served the tennis world well.

They get in shape by doing miles of wind sprints (where they line up balls along an end line, run to it, pick it up and drop it in a different place), lots of practice rolling the balls to and from the net and simulating matches amongst themselves. It's grueling work, so don't get too attached to any one kid. No ball person works more than an hour at a time. Six kids, two on each end and two at the net, rotate through each match.

If you've been to any other Olympic competitions, you'll notice something different about these kids: what they're wearing. Teal. No person working on the court is allowed to wear clothing with a white or yellow background, to keep players from not being able to see, or "losing," the ball in the color.

This is an official publication of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games Sports Publication Department. Written by Jennifer Knight.


Olympic Factoid
Pin trading was one of the most popular Olympic sports, with more than 1.2 million pins changing hands during the Games in the Coca Cola Pin Trading Center at Centennial Olympic Park.