Category: Info

Tennis is a fun game, but it does involve quite a few rules.  It’s no wonder that newcomers to the sport are often confused by what is going on when they first watch a tennis match.  This Tennis FAQ will clear up some of the most common questions and talk you through the facts to help you get more enjoyment out of this great sport.

What is the start of a tennis match called?

The first shot played in any tennis match is called a service (or serve).  The first service is performed from the left side of the court’s baseline and must land in the left service box on the other side of the net.  Every subsequent serve will then change sides, with the server moving between the left and right sides of the base line. Take a look at the red arrow below to see how the server must direct their first serve.

Once the game is finished (see below to learn what a game is) the other player gets to serve.  Service continues to alternate when each game finishes.

How does tennis scoring work?

The tennis scoring system is perhaps the most complex part of the game, which is why some newcomers find it confusing.  A tennis match has points, games, and sets.

Points

After the ball is successfully served, each player will hit it to their opponent’s side of the court.  If the server successfully lands in the service box, each player will continue to hit it back-and-forth until one of them fails to return it, hits it out on-the-full and or hits it into the net.  If this occurs, their opponent wins the point.

If the ball is not successfully served (it doesn’t land in the correct service box or hits the net), the server will have a fault.  They will get to perform another serve.  If they fail again, they are at double fault and their opponent wins a point.

If you win four points in a row, you will win a game.  However, it’s important to note that tennis points are named in an unusual way:

• Love— zero points
• 15 — when a player has won their first point of the game.
• 30 — when a player wins two points in a game
• 40— when a player wins three points in a game
• Deuce– when the score is 40-40 it is called Deuce (another word for a tie).  To win the game from deuce, one of the players must win two consecutive points.
• Advantage– If you win one point after being at Deuce, you will have Advantage.  Win another point and you win the game.  If you lose the next point, it goes back to Deuce.

When saying or writing the score of a tennis game, you will always have the score of the player currently serving first.  Here are a few examples, of how points work:

• If you are serving and have won a single point, the score would be 15-0 or 15 love.
• If you are serving and have lost a single point, the score would be 0-15 or love 15.
• If you are serving and lose 3 points in a row, the score would be 0-40 or love 40. If you lose one more point, you lose the game!
• If you make a comeback and reach Deuce (40-40), then win another point — you will have Advantage. Win the next point and you win the game.  If you lose the next point, the score goes back to deuce.  Games can continue for a long time if either player cannot win two consecutive points after the score reaches deuce.

See: How to Keep Score in Tennis  |  How to Read Tennis Scores

Games

At the end of the game, the person serving will change.  So, if you were serving that game, give the ball to your opponent so they can serve the next game.

If you managed to win the game, congratulations!  Now, you need to win the set.  A set consists of at least 6 games, with the first person to 6 games winning.  However, you must win by at least two games.  That means, if the score is 6-5, you still have to win another game to be two games in front (7-5).  If it is a close match, players might end up winning 8, 9, or 10 games before they claim the set.

Sets

The winner of the match is determined by the best of three or five sets.  If you are playing to three and win the first two sets, the game is over.  If you win one set each, you must play the third match to decide.

What is an Ace?

An ace occurs when you successfully land a serve inside the service box and the receiver is unable to hit the ball.

How many sets to win in tennis?

Most matches are decided by the best of three sets.  However, professional male tennis players participating in a grand slam tournament will usually play best of five sets.

How long does a tennis match last?

It really depends on how close the match is.  If every game is a tightly contested affair with points often going to deuce and extra games being played, it can go for many hours.

On average, a three-set match will last around 2 hours in total.  A longer five-set match averages around 3.5 hours, but some close games can last much longer.  In 2010, a match at the Wimbledon Championship between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut lasted for 11 hours and 5 minutes over the space of three days.

Why do tennis players bounce the ball before serving?

There are two reasons why most tennis players will bounce the tennis ball on the ground before the serve.  The first reason is pragmatic — the player is simply testing how “bouncy” the ball is before hitting it.  If the ball still contains a lot of air and is very bouncy, they change how hard they hit it when serving.

The other reason is that bouncing the ball a few times acts like a kind of ritual that helps the player get into “the zone”.  When they bounce the ball, they remember all of the other habits that they are meant to perform when serving, like throwing the ball a certain distance, moving their feet correctly, or adding spin to the ball.  These little rituals help a player hit their serve reliably and have it land in the service court.

What does “let” mean in tennis?

A “let” occurs when a player serves and the ball hits the top of the net but still manages to land in the service court.  When a let occurs, it is not considered a fault and the player serving gets to serve again.

What is a break in tennis?

A “break” is announced if a player receiving serve is ahead by between one to three points and only needs one more point to win the game.  For example, if you are receiving serve and the score is 30-40, you will “break” your opponents serve if you win the next point and take the game.

If a ball lands on the line is it out?

No!  If the ball lands on one of the singles sidelines or the baseline between the singles sidelines, it is considered in bounds.

Our time for the annual spring-clean is nigh and as we’re all preparing for the dreaded task of sorting through all the unnecessary stuff we’ve accumulated over the last year, we’re already thinking of ways to recycle some of the things that might find a second purpose in life.

It is becoming increasingly obvious that we need to treat our planet better, and one way to contribute to a healthier environment is by responsibly recycling materials that could otherwise harm our natural eco-system. This doesn’t always mean simply paying attention to the way we separate our waste, but also finding creative and innovative ways to upcycle items and use them for another purpose.

If you’re a passionate tennis player or happen to have a dog with a serious tennis ball collection, you’re probably wondering about a good way to recycle them. Even the best tennis balls deteriorate eventually so here are some creative and efficient tips on how to recycle old tennis balls!

Start a Toddler Band

Tired of listening to your kiddos’ incredibly noisy shows full of high-pitched characters? Then get them away from the TV and encourage them to start a band instead – you’ll still have to deal with noise, but at least it’ll be of the musical kind. Grab a few of the many tennis balls you’ve been looking to recycle and slit them open on one side. Fill them with pebbles or bells and superglue them shut again. They’ll make for great toddler instruments that will get everyone busting a dance move to the family band’s favourite tunes.

Emoji Party

Trying to think of fun decoration ideas for your teen’s upcoming birthday party? If there’s one thing all teenagers share in common, it’s their love for emojis. Your old tennis balls are the ideal canvass for making your teen’s favourite emojis come to life. Use a permanent marker to draw on the faces and then place them all together in a bowl to act as a centrepiece for the party table. Who knows, you might even inspire the future generation to find their own creative methods of recycling their tennis balls.

Tennis Court Painting

If you want to pay tribute to your favourite sport in the world, why not use your old tennis balls to paint a picture of a tennis court? Use a sturdy surface such as a wooden board or a piece of drywall and paint it tennis-court green or terracotta. Choose several contrasting colours, dip your tennis ball into paint and softly serve it on to the canvass. Repeat the process until you feel happy with your tennis ball prints.

Floor Protectors

It’s not easy keeping your floors pristine when your kids are constantly scraping their chairs against them. Avoid adding further scratches to your lovely floorboards by cutting an X into your old tennis balls and slipping the chair’s leg into them. Ensure they have a firm grip and you’ll never have to worry about damaging your floors again.

Bug Repellants

Spring has sprung early this year, and with the blossoming flowers and rising temperatures, the flies have come out to play too. Go back to enjoying your garden without having to ward off these pests all night, by creating fun-looking bug repellants you can hang from your trees or the patio ceiling. Attach a string to the ball using a pin and coat the tennis ball in Vaseline – gnats and flies will be more attracted to the Vaseline than to you!

Tennis Wreath

Prepare for the holy tennis season this summer by creating a funky tennis ball wreath. This will be the perfect décor feature to get everyone excited about the tennis viewing party and will set the tone for a winning afternoon/evening.

reBounces

Collect 200 tennis balls from your own personal collection or your local club, request a pre-paid shipping label and send them into reBounces. This program, in partnership with Ace Surfaces, will grind up your old tennis balls and use the materials to create innovative and sustainable sport surfacing systems such as the Laykold Master 5 and Laykold Master 8.

Gift Recipient

Surprise your tennis buddies with lovely little gifts presented in a tennis ball recipient. Simply slice the ball in half – always leaving the bottom half bigger than the top half – and fill it up with candy, homemade treats or whatever else you might think of. Hand it to your friend as is or wrap it in cellophane for an elegant presentation.

Pacman Letter Holder

Finally, a great way to keep all your letters and papers organized in a fun, creative manner! Turn your tennis balls into little Pacman characters by cutting a triangle-shaped mouth into the middle and sticking plastic eyes above it. Use strong, double-sided tape to stick your Pacman to the wall and feed him with your letters.

If you are a little confused as to what’s going on in the tennis court and trying to read the scores when you watch it on TV but you want to have a game and need to be able to keep score, then don’t worry.

Tennis is not a straightforward sport to understand at first, but once you get the fundamentals down, you’ll feel like a seasoned pro.

In this post, we’ll go over how to keep score in tennis, so you can enjoy anice game of tennis at your local court. You should be able to get through this post pretty quickly, as we’ve stuck to only the key ideas!

The basics

• Each game of tennis consists of either three or two sets. In order for a player to win a set, they must win at least six games.
• Every game is scored starting at zero, and goes up to forty points – even though it’s technically just four points. From zero, the next point is 15, then 30, then 40, which wins the game for the best player.

Getting the game started

• To start a tennis game, one person flips a coin or spins a racket to determine who serves first. Whoever wins the toss gets to decide several things:
  • Whether to serve first or second.
  • What side of the court to start on.
  • Or if the winner wants to leave the above choices to his or her opponent.
• Whoever serves first will serve throughout the game until its conclusion.
• Players serve from the court’s baseline, which is the right-hand side of the court.

Scoring the Game

• Before the player serves the ball, they should announce the score, with your score first being the first number spoken and then your opponent’s number.
• A player gets two attempts at serving. The ball must go over the net, and land in the ‘service box’ on the opposing side, as well as bouncing towards the opposing player.
• If the ball does not land in the service box, the player is required to serve the ball again. If the second attempt misses again, the player loses a point.
• If the ball grazes the net but lands in the box, the serve does not count, but you must take that server over (this is known as a “let”).
• If the serve goes in and the other player is successful at returning it, players continue hitting the ball back and forth until it hits the net, lands out of bounds, or someone misses the ball. Any of the aforementioned events will cause one player to gain a point at the expense of the other player.
• The game continues until the score reaches 40 at which point the player on 40 can win the game by winning the next point. If the game is tied at 40, it is known as a “deuce.”, which in tennis lingo means a tie. In order to break the stalemate, a player must earn two points in a row.
• Once the game finishes, the other person begins serving. Every odd-numbered game a different player will be the one to serve.

Scoring a Set

• Before the beginning serve in each new game, the server is required to announce the score in sets. One should announce their score first and then the opponent’s score.
• One set consists of six games; the first person to win six games and be 2 games ahead wins the set.
• If the score ties at 6-6, you play a tiebreaker.

Scoring the Match

• All of the above is known as a match. The match is then determined by the best out of two of three sets. In other words, if a player wins two sets, they win the game. If you each win a set, then you must play a third set to determine the overall winner.

Conclusion

So that’s pretty much everything that you need to know when it comes to keeping score in tennis.

If you’re still stuck scratching your head trying to figure out the game, (which is understandable) there are plenty of tutorials that can give you some visual and audio clues on how to read a game, as well as some content that can break down everything for you in real time.