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Tennis Basics

for the novice

​Tennis is a brilliant sport that demands a unique blend of physical and mental prowess, making it a true test of overall athleticism. Its fast-paced nature requires quick reflexes, agility, and split-second decision-making to outmaneuver opponents.  Yet, it's not just about brute force; strategic thinking and adaptability are equally crucial, akin to a mental chess game unfolding on the court. 

Despite its deceptive simplicity, mastering tennis requires unwavering focus, determination, and an unyielding competitive spirit. This brilliance lies in its ability to challenge players holistically, making tennis a sport that truly epitomizes the harmonious fusion of physical and intellectual prowess.

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Game, Set, Match

Points make up a game, games make up a set, and sets make up a match.

To win a game, a player must win four points and by a margin of two.

The scoring goes 15, 30, 40, game; this system, derived from real tennis, is medieval in origin. It never has been satisfactorily explained why three points equal 40 rather than 45.

Zero is generally referred to as “love,” which is thought to be derived from l’oeuf, the French word for “egg.”

The server’s score is called first;  thus, 30–15 means that the server has two points to one, whereas 15–30 means that the receiver has two points to one.

If both players reach 40, the score is said to be “deuce,” and the game continues until a player achieves first “advantage” and then the two-point margin for “game.” There is no limit to the number of times a game can go to deuce before it is decided, but in some competitions a so-called “no-ad” system is used, which means that no two-point margin is required and the first player to win four points wins the game.

The first player to win six games traditionally wins the set, although a two-game margin is again required; thus, a set in which each player has won five games cannot be won before 7–5.

Since the early 1970s virtually all competitions have come to employ tiebreakers to eliminate marathon sets. Usually played at six games all, the tiebreaker can consist of an odd number of points with no two-point margin required (“sudden death”) or an even number of points with a two-point margin required. For example, in a 12-point tiebreaker the first player to reach 7 points with a margin of 2 wins the tiebreaker game and the set, 7–6. Virtually all tournaments now play tiebreakers at six games all.

In major tournaments and the Davis Cup,

men generally play best-of-five-set matches 

and women best-of-three. In most other tournaments, men now also play best-of-three sets;  women occasionally play best-of-five for finals. In Olympic competition, all matches are best-of-three sets, except for the men’s finals, which are best-of-five.

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