The Amityville Horror

Numerous discrepencies have emerged over the years, though the Lutz's continued claims that the book was essentially true help keep the legend alive in the public eye. Kramer, for instance, still believes that Vines was the best ever.¹ Among the women, Lenglen and Wills Moody vie for the distinction of greatest of all time, along with several modern players: Court, Navratilova, Evert, and Graf. Weber had admitted that much of the story was created over "many bottles of wine" with the Lutz's [5]. Even among experts, however, no consensus exists as to who has been the greatest of all. Weber" [4]. Roger Federer is considered by many commentators to have the most "complete" game in modern tennis, with the potential to challenge the achievements of these past greats. Weinstein dismissed the Lutz's claims, saying "it appears to me that to a large extent the book is a work of fiction, relying in a large part upon the suggestions of Mr. Since then, first Laver, then more recently Borg and Sampras, have been widely regarded as the greatest ever.

Weinstein. For much of the 1950s and 1960s, many thought Gonzales had claimed that title. District Court judge Jack B. Until the mid-1950s, Bill Tilden was generally considered the greatest player ever, his only rivals being Vines, Budge, and Kramer. Eventually, the claims against the news corporations were dropped for lack of evidence, and the remainder of the case was tried by Brooklyn U.S. Among the women are Margaret Smith Court, Maria Bueno, Billie Jean King, Evonne Goolagong, Chris Evert, Hana Mandlíková, Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf, Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, Monica Seles, Martina Hingis, Lindsay Davenport, Venus Williams, Serena Williams, and Justine Henin-Hardenne. Hoffman, Weber, and Burton immediately filed a countersuit alleging fraud and breach of contract. Among the greatest male players of the Open era are Rod Laver, Jimmy Connors, John Newcombe, Stan Smith, Guillermo Vilas, Arthur Ashe, Björn Borg, John McEnroe, Ivan Lendl, Mats Wilander, Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg,Goran Ivanišević, Jim Courier, Pete Sampras, Marcelo Rios, Patrick Rafter, Andre Agassi, Gustavo Kuerten, Lleyton Hewitt, Andy Roddick, and Roger Federer.

The story started to fall apart when the Lutz's filed suit against Paul Hoffman (a writer working on an account of the hauntings), William Weber (DeFeo's Lawyer), Bernard Burton, Frederick Mars (both clairvoyants who had examined the house), Good Housekeeping, New York Sunday News and the Hearst Corporation (who had published articles related to the hauntings), alleging invasion of privacy, misappropration of names for trade purposes, and mental distress. Doris Hart was the first player to win all 12 possible singles, doubles and mixed doubles Grand Slam titles. The popular consensus today, however, among researchers of the incident is that "the facts depicted in the books (and the movies to follow) were written entirely as a profit making scheme" [3]. Maureen Connolly was the first female player to win a Grand Slam in 1953. The book and the subsequent movies were promoted as being based on a true story, and for a time Anson's word that "There is simply too much independent corroboration of their narrative to support the speculation that [the Lutzes] either imagined or fabricated these events" held. Among women the top two pre-Open era players are considered to be Suzanne Lenglen and Helen Wills Moody. On January 14, 1976, George and Kathy Lutz, with their three children and their dog, Harry, fled the house on 112 Ocean Avenue, leaving most of their possessions behind. Other fine players of the pre-Open era include Maurice McLoughlin, "Little Bill" Johnston, the "Four Musketeers" (Jean Borotra, Jacques Brugnon, Henri Cochet, and René Lacoste), Vinnie Richards, Jack Crawford, Vic Seixas, and Tony Trabert.

After getting in touch with Father Ray, he managed to convince George and Kathy to take some belongings and stay at Kathy’s mother’s house in Deer Park, for the time being until they sorted out what problems were in the house. Any one of these eleven would probably be competitive in today's game. To this day, events of this night have not been disclosed fully by any of the Lutz family, as they have described it as too frightening. Among them are "Big Bill" Tilden, Ellsworth Vines, Fred Perry, Don Budge, Bobby Riggs, Jack Kramer, Pancho Segura, Frank Sedgman, Pancho Gonzales, Ken Rosewall, and Lew Hoad. By mid-January of 1976, and after another attempt at a house blessing by George and Kathy, they experienced what would be their final night in the house. Many great players played in the days before tennis's Open era, many of whom are unknown by modern sports fans. When taking his advice and walking around the house doing the Lord’s prayer each of the rooms, George and Kathy would hear a chorus of voices telling them “Will you please stop!”. Each year, a grass-court tournament is hosted on the grounds that are home to the Tennis Hall of Fame, as well as an induction ceremony honoring new Hall of Fame members.

When it was apparent to the Lutz’s that something was wrong with their house that they could not explain rationally, it was suggested by a friend of George’s, who had had similar experiences in his house, that he and Kathy do a blessing of their own and open all the windows in the rooms and tell whatever was there to leave in the name of Jesus Christ. The building contains a large collection of tennis memorabilia as well as a hall of fame honoring prominent members and tennis players from all over the world. Some of the experiences in the house for the Lutz family are as follows:. In 1954 James Van Alen founded the International Tennis Hall of Fame, a non-profit museum in Newport, Rhode Island. Each family member would experience different things as individuals which made such a profound psychological effect that it was difficult to explain them to even other family members that lived in the house, and it was like they “were each living in a different house”. Since the 1970s great champions have emerged from Germany (Boris Becker, Steffi Graf), the former Czechoslovakia (Ivan Lendl, Martina Navratilova, and Hana Mandlikova), Sweden (Björn Borg, Stefan Edberg and Mats Wilander), Brazil (Gustavo Kuerten), Russia (Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Marat Safin), Belgium (Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin-Hardenne), Switzerland (Martina Hingis and Roger Federer) and from many other countries. The instances of paranormal activity were later described as being “in a three-ringed circus”. With the beginning of the Open era, the establishment of an international professional tennis circuit, and revenues from the sale of television rights, tennis has spread all over the world and has lost its upper-class English-speaking image.

Occurrences were subtle and escalated as time went by. In 1968, commercial pressures led to the abandonment of this distinction, inaugurating the Open era, in which all players could compete in all tournaments, and top players were able to make their living from tennis. The sensations in the house experienced by the Lutz family did not happen at an accelerated pace instantly. Once a player turned pro he or she could not compete in the major (amateur) tournaments. Because they planned to use the room as a “sewing room” nothing else was mentioned of it, until much later after George and Kathy had fled the house. For 42 years professional and amateur tennis remained strictly separate. Instead he told them he felt uncomfortable in that room and would prefer it if nobody spent too much time in that room. The most notable of these early professionals were the American Vinnie Richards and the Frenchwoman Suzanne Lenglen.

When leaving the house, Father Ray did not mention this incident to either George or Kathy, more than likely because he did not wish to cause them unnecessary concern. ("Cash and Carry") Pyle established the first professional tennis tour with a group of American and French tennis players playing exhibition matches to paying audiences. Much later, after fleeing, George and Kathy learned from Father Ray that when blessing a particular room on the second-storey, which would be referred to as the “sewing room” (formerly Marc and John Matthew DeFeo’s bedroom), he discovered an unnatural coldness in this room, and heard an unearthly voice telling him to “Get Out!” Startled by this, Father Ray was subsequently slapped by an unseen force. In 1926 promoter C.C. Father Ray arrived to do the house blessing on the day the Lutz’s were moving in and as they busily unpacked outside he went in and performed the house blessing. Winning the Grand Slam, by capturing these four titles in one calendar year, is the highest ambition of most tennis players. Being an ecclesiastical judge at the local Catholic establishment, Father Ray was not in the habit of doing house-blessings but since he and George were friends, he was doing it as a favour. Together these four events are called the Grand Slam (a term borrowed from bridge).

George only knew of one Catholic priest, named Father Ray, who was also a close friend, who agreed to do the house blessing. Open, the French Open and the Australian Open (dating to 1905) became and have remained the most prestigious events in tennis. Kathy was a non-practising Catholic at the time and explained the process. Thus Wimbledon, the U.S. At the time George was a non-Catholic (at the time he was a non-practising Methodist) and had no experience with what a house blessing entailed. It was also popular in France, where the French Open dates to 1891. When a friend of George’s learned of the house he insisted George have the house blessed. Tennis was for many years predominantly a sport of the English-speaking world, dominated by the United States, Britain and Australia.

They moved in on December 18, 1975. The Davis Cup, an annual competition between national teams, dates to 1900. After family discussions, it was agreed that it was not an issue. National Women's Singles Championships were first held in 1887. During their first inspection of the house the realtor told them about the DeFeo murders the previous November and asked if this changed their opinion on wanting to purchase the house. The U.S. Kathy had three children from a previous marriage and a black Labrador named Harry. Open, was first held in 1881 at Newport, Rhode Island.

George and Kathy were married in July and had their own houses, however they wanted to start a new life with a new home, for a new marriage. National Men's Singles Championship, now the U.S. The house on 112 Ocean Avenue remained empty for 13 months until late 1975, when George and Kathleen Lutz purchased the 2 ½ floor house. U.S. He was convicted of second degree murder and is currently serving a life sentence. rules promulgated in 1924 have remained remarkably stable in the ensuing eighty years, the one major change being the addition of the tie-breaker system designed by James van Alen. DeFeo's attorney pursued that line of questioning during the trial, only to have it backfire on him when DeFeo testified that he had not heard any voices the night of the murders [2]. The comprehensive I.L.T.F.

However CourtTV's account of the murder case makes no mention of these claims, implying that DeFeo in fact did not contest his confession until the trial [1]. In 1881 the United States National Lawn Tennis Association (now the United States Tennis Association) was formed to standardize the rules and organize competitions. He also claimed when killing his parents the weapon made no sound when firing it. The first championships at Wimbledon, in London were played in 1877. DeFeo also claimed to have seen shadow figures moving about the house during the murders. In 1881 the desire to play tennis competitively led to the establishment of tennis clubs. The popular story of ensuing events is that DeFeo’s original claims were that the murders were mob-connected had changed to “hearing voices,” demonic possession, and being handed the murder weapon, a .35 calibre Marlin hunting rifle, by a “pair of black hands”. at the home of Mary Ewing Outerbridge on Staten Island, New York in 1874.

Ronald DeFeo Jr., the only surviving member, claimed that they had been murdered by the mob until he confessed to the murders. It was first played in the U.S. On November 13, 1974, police found that all but one of the members of the family residing at 112 Oceanside Ave., the DeFeo's, had been murdered in the middle of the night. Tennis spread rapidly among the leisured classes in Britain and the United States. Main Article: Ronald DeFeo, Jr. Seeing the commercial potential of the game, Wingfield patented it in 1874, but never succeeded in enforcing his patent. The Lutz family, having lived in the house for only 28 days, fled their house with very few belongings, claiming to have been terrorized by paranormal phenomenon. According to most tennis historians, modern tennis terminology also derives from this period, as Wingfield borrowed both the name and much of the French vocabulary of royal tennis and applied them to his new game:.

Thirteen months earlier the house on 112 Ocean Avenue was the scene of a brutal mass murder. He based the game on the older sport of indoor tennis or real tennis ("royal tennis"), which had been invented in 12th century France and was played by French aristocrats down to the time of the French Revolution. Both book and film revolve around the Lutz family, who move into the Dutch Colonial home in the village of Amityville, a New York City suburb on the south shore of Long Island, New York village. In December 1873, Major Walter Clopton Wingfield devised a similar game for the amusement of his guests at a garden party on his estate at Nantclwyd, Wales. . The Courier of 23 July 1884 recorded one of the first tennis tournaments, held in the grounds of Shrubland Hall (demolished 1948). The novel is also the basis of two movies made in 1979 and 2005. In 1874 they formed the Leamington Tennis Club, setting out the original rules of the game.

The Amityville Horror was a best-selling 1977 novel by Jay Anson. Wellesley Tomkins to found the first lawn tennis club in the world, and played the game on nearby lawns. The Amityville Horror (2005 film). A. The Amityville Horror (1979 film). Frederick Haynes and Dr. Later it was theorized that it could have been “Jody”. Pereira joined with Dr.

When he raced upstairs and to her room there was no sign of this mysterious entity. In 1872 both men moved to Leamington Spa, and with two doctors from the Warneford Hospital, played pelota on the lawn behind the Manor House Hotel (now residential apartments). While checking the boathouse one night, George saw a pair of “red eyes” looking at him from Missy’s bedroom window. The game was played on a lawn in Edgbaston. When he got downstairs the noise would stop. In 1859 Major Thomas Henry Gem, a solicitor, and his friend Batista Pereira, a Spanish merchant, who both lived in Birmingham, England played a game they named "pelota", after a Spanish ball game. George would hear what was described as a “German marching band tuning up” or what also sounded like a clock radio playing not quite on frequency. Tennis has a long history (deriving from the 'jeu de paume'), but its establishment as the modern sport can be dated to two separate roots.

Nobody else heard these sounds even though it was loud enough to wake the house. system called the National Tennis Rating Program (NTRP): 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, etc.) which is adjusted periodically to maintain competitive matches. He would race downstairs to see the dog sleeping soundly at the front door. According to how well a person does in sanctioned play, he or she is given a rating (examples from the U.S. George would be awoken by the sound of the front door slamming when there was no door slamming. Players may also be matched by their skill level. The Lutz’s youngest daughter, Missy, developed an imaginary friend named “Jody” who it was later discovered was not so imaginary and who it would be discovered could change form from a little boy to a demonic pig-like creature. In the four grand slams, the draw (the maximum number of players allowed in a particular category of the tournament) is 128 people.

There were cold spots and strange odours of scented perfume and excrement in certain areas of the house where there were no wind drafts or any piping whatsoever to explain a source. There are also tournaments for handicapped players. This room had a profound effect on their dog, Harry, who refused to go near it and cowered away as if sensing something negative there. Tournaments may be arranged for specific age groups, with upper age limits for youth and lower age limits for senior players. The room was referred to as “the red room”. Common tournament configurations include men's singles, women's singles, doubles (where two players of the same sex play on each side), and mixed doubles (with a member of each sex per side). This did not show up on the blue prints of the house. Tournaments are often organized by gender and number of players.

Kathy discovered a small hidden crawl space behind shelving in the basement, the walls painted red. Finally, if an opponent is deep in his court, a player may suddenly employ an unexpected drop shot, softly tapping the ball just over the net so that the opponent is unable to run in fast enough to retrieve it. Kathy would feel a sensation as if “being embraced” in a loving manner, by an unseen force. If the lob is not hit deeply enough into the other court, however, the opponent may then hit an overhead smash, a hard, serve-like shot, to try to end the point. These details were later confirmed when they met with Ronald DeFeo’s defence attorney. From a poor defensive position on the baseline, the lob can be used as either an offensive or defensive weapon, hitting the ball high and deep into the opponent's court to either enable the lobber to get into better defensive position or to win the point outright by hitting it over the opponent's head. Kathy would have vivid nightmares about the murders, and discovered which order the murders occurred and who was shot where. The half-volley is made by hitting the ball on the rise just after it has bounced, once again generally in the vicinity of the net.

Later it would be learned that it was the estimated time of death with the DeFeo murders. A volley is made in the air before the ball bounces, generally near the net, and is usually made with a stiff-wristed punching motion to hit the ball into an open area of the opponent's court. George would wake up around 3.15am every morning and then would go out to check the boathouse.
. They are part of a work of literature alleging supernatural events and have not been independently verified by impartial research. A small number of players, notably Monica Seles, use two hands on both the backhand and forehand sides. This section contains allegations of events that support the contention that the house was actually haunted. Ken Rosewall, another player noted for his one-handed backhand, used a deadly accurate slice backhand with underspin through the 1950s and '60s.

This section contains information that is a part of the public record separate from specific allegations of supernatural events which form the heart of the book and movies. The player long considered to have had the best backhand of all time, Don Budge, had a very powerful one-handed stroke in the 1930s and '40s that imparted topspin onto the ball. Two hands give the player more power, while one hand can generate a slice shot, applying backspin on the ball to produce a low trajectory bounce. The two-handed grip gained popularity in the 1970s as Björn Borg, Chris Evert, Jimmy Connors and later Mats Wilander used it to great effect, and it is now used by a large number of the world's best players, including Andre Agassi and the Williams sisters. The first notable players to use two hands were the 1930s Australians Vivian McGrath and John Bromwich.

For most of the 20th Century it was performed with one hand, using either an eastern or a continental grip. It can be executed with either one or both hands. The backhand, which is struck by swinging the racquet away from one's body in the direction of where the player wants the ball to go, is generally considered more difficult to master than the forehand. In the 1940s and 50s the Ecuadorian/American player Pancho Segura used a two-handed forehand to devastating effect against larger, more powerful players, and many female and young players use the two-handed stroke today.

No matter which grip is used, most forehands are generally executed with one hand holding the racquet, but there have been fine players with two-handed forehands. Few top players used the western grip after the 1920s, but in the latter part of the 20th century, as shot-making techniques and equipment changed radically, the western forehand made a strong comeback and is now used by many modern players. For a number of years the small, apparently frail 1920s player Bill Johnston was considered by many to have had the best forehand of all time, a stroke that he hit shoulder-high using a western grip. The most important ones are the Continental, the Eastern, and the Western.

There are various grips for executing the forehand and their popularity has fluctuated over the years. Then swing up and across to get the right amount of spin. The forehand is accomplished by starting the racquet above the height of the ball, and then dropping the racquet head behind your body. A winning serve that is not touched by the opponent is called an ace.

Some servers are content to use the serve simply to initiate the point; advanced players often try to hit a winning shot with their serve. A reverse spin serve is hit in a manner that spins the ball opposite the natural spin of the server, the spin direction depending upon right- or left-handedness, while a severely sliced serve is sometimes called a sidespin. The server may employ different types of serve: a flat, a top-spin, an American twist (or kick), a reverse spin, or a slice serve. The serve is initiated by tossing the ball into the air and hitting it (usually near the apex of its trajectory) into the diagonally opposite service box without touching the net.

A serve (or, more formally, a service) in tennis is a shot to start a point. A competent tennis player has eight basic shots in his or her repertoire: the serve, forehand, backhand, volley, half-volley, overhead smash, drop shot, and lob. The first player or team to four points wins the game. No-ad: You play through the match without any ads.

This is played like a regular tie-break but you go to ten instead of seven. It decides who wins instead of a third set. Super tie-break: This is played sometimes after players split sets (Each wins one set). All other rules apply.

A pro set is first to 8 games instead of 6. Pro set: Instead of playing best out of three sets, players may play one pro set. During highschool tennis team matches players may have to follow a few different rules:. The scoring is the same as a regular game.

For the single person, single court rules apply (such that the ball must be within the singles court lines) but on the side of the doubles team, doubles court rules apply (the alleys are considered in). This involves three players, with one person playing against a doubles team. Another tennis format is called "Australian doubles" (Sometimes referred to as "Canadian doubles" or "Korean doubles"). In such cases, the extra bounce is permitted for the wheelchair users only.

It is possible for a doubles team to consist of a wheelchair user and a legs user, or for a wheelchair user to play against a legs user. This rule makes it possible to have mixed wheelchair and legs matches. In wheelchair tennis, in which the players move in wheelchairs instead of using legs, an extra bounce is permitted. There is an exception for those who are only able to propel themselves using a foot.

The use of legs or feet is then prohibited, and the player is required to remain seated in the wheelchair. Wheelchair tennis can be played by able-bodied players as well as people who require a wheelchair for mobility. Continuity of the balls' condition is considered part of the game, so if a re-warm-up is required after an extended break in play (usually due to rain) then the re-warm-up is done using a separate set of balls, and use of the match balls is resumed only when play resumes. The first such change occurs after only seven games, because the first set of balls is also used for the pre-match warm-up.

Balls wear out quickly in serious play, and therefore are changed after every nine games. Other than this, breaks are permitted only when forced by events beyond the players' control, such as rain, damaged footwear, or the need to chase an errant ball. This is increased to 90 seconds when the players change ends (every two games), and a 120 second break is permitted between sets. In most cases, service is required to occur no more than 20 seconds after the end of the previous point.

Stamina is a relevant factor, so arbitrary delays are not permitted. A tennis match is intended to be continuous. This is the case for many high school and college level matches. In some leagues players will make their own calls based upon the honor code.

The referee, who is usually located off the court, is the final authority on the rules. They have no adjudicative role. Ball boys or girls (who are usually children) may be employed to retrieve balls, pass them to the players, and hand players their towels. There may also be a net umpire who determines whether the ball has touched the net during service.

The chair umpire may be assisted by line umpires, who determine whether the ball has landed within the required part of the court and who also call foot faults. The umpire has absolute authority to determine matters of fact. In serious play there is an officiating chair umpire (usually referred to as the umpire), who sits in a raised chair to one side of the court. See Tennis score for a description of both tie break scoring and its history.

A tiebreak game, played under a separate set of rules, allows one player to win one more game and thus the set, to give a final set score of 7-6. A tiebreak game is sometimes played when the score for the set is presently 6-6. Should the player in the lead take any one of those points, he wins the game (set, etc.). If the player who is serving has a score of 40-love, he has a triple game point (triple set point, etc.).

For example, if the player who is serving has a score of 40-15, he has a double game point (double set point, etc.). It may happen that the course of play has been such that the player who is in the lead in the game has more than one chance to score the winning point, even if his opponent should take the next point(s). It is of importance in professional tennis, since service breaks happen less frequently with professional players. A break point occurs if the returner, not the server, has a game point.

The terminology is extended to sets (set point), matches (match point), and even championships (championship point). A game point occurs in tennis whenever the player who is in the lead in the game (the smallest unit of play) needs only one more point to win the game. The running score of each game is described in a manner particular to tennis: scores of zero to three points are described as "love" (or "zero"), "fifteen", "thirty", and "forty" respectively. A game consists of a sequence of points played with the same player serving, and is won by the first player to have won at least four points and at least two points more than his opponent.

If a tiebreak is played, the set is determined by the winner of the next game, and is scored as 7-6. It has become common, however, to play a one game tiebreak when each player has won six games. Typically, a player wins a set when he wins at least six games and at least two games more than his opponent. A set consists of a sequence of games played with service alternating between games, ending when the count of games won meets certain criteria.

Some matches may consist of five sets (the winner being the first to win three sets), while most matches are three sets (the winner being the first to win two sets). The match ends as soon as this winning condition is met. Matches consist of an odd number of multiple sets, the match winner being the player who wins more than half of the sets. A set consists of a number of games, and games, in turn, consist of points.

A tennis match usually comprises one to five sets. The first player or team to fail to make a legal return loses the point. It then travels back over the net and bounces in the court on the opposite side. A legal return consists of the player or team hitting the ball exactly once before it has bounced twice or hit any fixtures.

A legal service starts a rally, in which the players alternate hitting the ball across the net. If the second service is also faulty, this is a double fault and the receiver wins the point. If the first service is otherwise faulty in any way, the serving player has a second attempt at service. If the ball hits the net but lands in the service court, this is a let service, which is void.

In a legal service, the ball travels over the net (without touching it) and into the diagonally opposite service court. When the receiver is ready, the server will serve. The receiver may stand anywhere on his side of the net, usually behind the diagonally opposite service box. For each point, the server stands behind his baseline, between the center mark and the sideline.

Service alternates between the two halves of the court. One player is designated the server, and the opposing player, or in doubles one of the opposing players, is the receiver. The players (or teams) stand on opposite sides of the net. Open and Australian Open use hardcourts (though they used grass courts and clay courts in the past), the French Open is played on clay, and Wimbledon is played on grass.

Of the Grand Slam tournaments, the U.S. Grass courts add an additional variable, with bounces depending on how healthy the grass is and how recently it has been mowed. Hardcourts and grass are "fast" surfaces, where fast, low bounces keep rallies short, and powerful, hard-serving and hard-hitting players have an advantage. On clay courts, line calls are easily reviewable because the ball leaves a visible mark.

Clay courts are considered "slow," meaning that the balls lose speed as they hit the court and bounce relatively high, making it more difficult for a player to hit an unreturnable shot, called a winner. Hardcourt encompasses many different surfaces, ranging from old-fashioned concrete courts to coated asphalt to wooden gymnasium surfaces to artificial grass similar to AstroTurf. Each surface provides a difference in the speed and bounce of the ball. There are three main types of courts, depending on the materials used for the court surface.

The net is 3 feet 6 inches (1.07 m) high at the posts, and 3 feet (914 mm) high in the center. A net is stretched across the full width of the court, parallel with the baselines, dividing it into two equal ends. Additional clear space around the court is required in order for players to reach overrun balls. The court is 78 feet (23.77 m) long, and its width is 27 feet (8.23 m) for singles matches and 36 feet (10.97 m) for doubles matches.

Tennis is played on a rectangular flat surface, usually of grass, clay, or concrete (hard court). . Along with its millions of players, millions of people follow tennis as a spectator sport, especially the four Grand Slam tournaments. Its rules have remained remarkably unchanged since the 1920s.

Tennis is now an Olympic sport that is played at all levels of society and by all ages in many countries around the world. Originating in England in the late 19th Century, the game spread first throughout the English-speaking world, particularly among the upper classes. In some places, tennis is still called lawn tennis, to distinguish it from real tennis (also known as royal tennis or court tennis), an older form of the game that is played indoors on a very different kind of a court. Player(s) use a stringed racquet to strike a hollow rubber ball covered in felt over a net into the opponent's court.

Tennis is a racquet sport played between either two players ("singles") or two teams of two players ("doubles"). The convention of numbering scores "15," "30" and "40" comes from quinze, trente and quarante, which to French ears makes a euphonious sequence. Love may come from l'oeuf, the egg, a reference to the egg-shaped zero symbol; however, since "un oeuf" is more commonly used, the etymology remains in question. Deuce comes from à deux le jeu, meaning "to both is the game" (that is, the two players have equal scores).

Racquet comes from raquette, which derives from the Arabic rakhat, meaning the palm of the hand. Tennis comes from the French tenez, the imperative form of the verb tenir, to hold: This was a cry used by the player serving in royal tennis, meaning "I am about to serve!" (rather like the cry "Fore!" in golf). Hardcourt. Grass court.

Clay court.