National Basketball Association

Today, the NBA has reached 30 franchises and continues to evolve as one of the premier sports leagues in the world. 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. In 1996 the NBA created a women's league, the Women's National Basketball Association, and in 2002 created an affiliated minor league, the National Basketball Development League. Even among experts, however, no consensus exists as to who has been the greatest of all. The NBA is now televised in 212 nations in 42 languages. 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. An increasing number, though, have moved directly from playing elsewhere in the world to starring in the NBA, such as 2002 NBA Rookie of the Year Pau Gasol of Spain, 2002 first pick in the NBA Draft Yao Ming of China, and 2004 Olympic Tournament MVP Manu Ginobili of Argentina. Since then, first Laver, then more recently Borg and Sampras, have been widely regarded as the greatest ever.

Initially, many of these players, such as 1994 NBA MVP Hakeem Olajuwon of Nigeria, first played NCAA basketball to enhance their skills. For much of the 1950s and 1960s, many thought Gonzales had claimed that title. A growing number of NBA star players also began coming from other countries. Until the mid-1950s, Bill Tilden was generally considered the greatest player ever, his only rivals being Vines, Budge, and Kramer. The 1992 Olympic basketball Dream Team, the first to use current NBA stars, featured Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson. 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. The 1990s also saw greater globalization. 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.

During the 1990s, Jordan went on to lead the Bulls to six titles. Doris Hart was the first player to win all 12 possible singles, doubles and mixed doubles Grand Slam titles. By 1989, further expansion had raised the number of teams in the league to 27. Maureen Connolly was the first female player to win a Grand Slam in 1953. Michael Jordan, entered the league in 1984 with the Chicago Bulls, providing an even more popular star to support growing interest in the league. Among women the top two pre-Open era players are considered to be Suzanne Lenglen and Helen Wills Moody. Bird went on to lead the Celtics to three titles, and Johnson went on to lead the Lakers to five. 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.

That same year, rookies Larry Bird and Magic Johnson joined the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, respectively, initiating a period of significant growth in fan interest in the NBA throughout the country and the world. Any one of these eleven would probably be competitive in today's game. The league added the ABA's innovative three-point field goal beginning in 1979 to open up the game. 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. Following the 1976 season, the leagues reached a settlement that provided for the addition of four ABA franchises to the NBA, raising the number of franchises in the league at that time to 22. Many great players played in the days before tennis's Open era, many of whom are unknown by modern sports fans. The NBA expanded rapidly during this period, one purpose being to tie up most viable cities. 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.

The ABA also succeeded in signing a number of major stars, including Julius Erving, in part because it allowed teams to sign college undergraduates. 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. However, the NBA's leading scorer, Rick Barry jumped to the ABA, as did four veteran referees -- Norm Drucker, Earl Strom, John Vanak and Joe Gushue. In 1954 James Van Alen founded the International Tennis Hall of Fame, a non-profit museum in Newport, Rhode Island. The NBA landed the most important college star of the era, Kareem Abdul Jabbar (then known as Lew Alcindor), who together with Oscar Robertson led the Milwaukee Bucks to a title in his second season, and who later played on five Laker championship teams. 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 leagues engaged in a bidding war for talent. 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.

In 1967, the league faced a new external threat with the formation of the American Basketball Association. 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. Through this period, the NBA continued to strengthen with the shift of the Minneapolis Lakers to Los Angeles, the Philadelphia Warriors to San Francisco, and the Syracuse Nationals to Philadelphia, as well as the addition of its first expansion franchises. Once a player turned pro he or she could not compete in the major (amateur) tournaments. Russell's rivalry with Chamberlain became one of the great individual rivalries in the history of team sports. For 42 years professional and amateur tennis remained strictly separate. Center Wilt Chamberlain entered the league in 1959 and became the dominant individual star of the 1960s, setting new records in scoring and rebounding. The most notable of these early professionals were the American Vinnie Richards and the Frenchwoman Suzanne Lenglen.

In 1956, rookie center Bill Russell joined the Boston Celtics, who already featured guard Bob Cousy and coach Red Auerbach, and went on to lead the club to eleven NBA titles in thirteen seasons. ("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. To liven up play, the league introduced the 24 second shot clock in 1954. In 1926 promoter C.C. During this period, the Minneapolis Lakers, led by center George Mikan, won five NBA Championships and established themselves as its first dynasty. Winning the Grand Slam, by capturing these four titles in one calendar year, is the highest ambition of most tennis players. 1950 also saw the NBA integrate, with the addition of African American players by several teams including Chuck Cooper with the Boston Celtics, Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton with the New York Knicks, and Earl Lloyd with the Washington Capitols. Together these four events are called the Grand Slam (a term borrowed from bridge).

Louis; the Royals from Rochester to Cincinnati, the Pistons from Fort Wayne to Detroit. Open, the French Open and the Australian Open (dating to 1905) became and have remained the most prestigious events in tennis. The Hawks shifted from "Tri-Cities" to Milwaukee and then to St. Thus Wimbledon, the U.S. While contracting, the league also saw its smaller city franchises move to larger cities. It was also popular in France, where the French Open dates to 1891. In 1950, the NBA consolidated to eleven franchises, a process that continued until 1954, when the league reached its smallest size of eight franchises, all of which are still in the league (the Knickerbockers, Celtics, Warriors, Lakers, Royals/Kings, Pistons, Hawks, and Nationals/76ers). Tennis was for many years predominantly a sport of the English-speaking world, dominated by the United States, Britain and Australia.

Following the 1949 season, the BAA agreed to merge with the NBL, expanding the rechristened National Basketball Association to seventeen franchises located in a mix of large and small cities, as well as large arenas and smaller gymnasiums and armories. The Davis Cup, an annual competition between national teams, dates to 1900. For instance the 1947 ABL finalist Baltimore Bullets moved to the BAA and won its 1948 title, followed by the 1948 NBL champion Minneapolis Lakers who won the 1949 BAA title. National Women's Singles Championships were first held in 1887. During its early years, though, the quality of play in the BAA was not obviously better than those other leagues or among leading independent clubs such as the Harlem Globetrotters. The U.S. Although there had been earlier attempts at professional basketball leagues, including the American Basketball League and the National Basketball League, the BAA was the first league to attempt to play primarily in large arenas in major cities. Open, was first held in 1881 at Newport, Rhode Island.

The Basketball Association of America was founded in 1946 by the owners of major sports arenas in the Northeast and Midwest, most notably Madison Square Garden in New York City. National Men's Singles Championship, now the U.S. There has been only one exception to date: Jerry West won the award in 1969 (the award's first season) even though his Los Angeles Lakers did not win the championship. U.S. In addition, the league awards an NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award, which nearly always goes to a member of the winning team, though not by rule. 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. Each player and major contributor, including coaches and the general manager, on the winning team receive a championship ring. The comprehensive I.L.T.F.

The victor in the NBA Finals wins the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy. In 1881 the United States National Lawn Tennis Association (now the United States Tennis Association) was formed to standardize the rules and organize competitions. The final playoff round, a best-of-seven series between the victors of both conferences, is known as the NBA Finals, and it is held annually in June. The first championships at Wimbledon, in London were played in 1877. For the final round (NBA Finals), the series follows a 2-3-2 pattern. In 1881 the desire to play tennis competitively led to the establishment of tennis clubs. In every round except the NBA Finals, the best of seven series follows a 2-2-1-1-1 pattern, meaning that one team will have home court in games 1, 2, 5, and 7, while the other plays at home in games 3, 4, and 6. at the home of Mary Ewing Outerbridge on Staten Island, New York in 1874.

Since the NBA does not re-seed teams, the playoff bracket in each conference uses a traditional design, with the winner of the series matching the 1st and 8th seeded teams playing the winner of the series matching the 4th and 5th seeded teams, and the winner of the series matching the 2nd and 7th seeded teams playing the winner of the series matching the 3rd and 6th seeded teams. It was first played in the U.S. Thus, all but one team in each conference are eliminated from the playoffs. Tennis spread rapidly among the leisured classes in Britain and the United States. In the next round, the successful team plays against another advancing team of the same conference. Seeing the commercial potential of the game, Wingfield patented it in 1874, but never succeeded in enforcing his patent. Each team plays a rival in a best-of-seven series, with the first team to win four games advancing into the second round, while the other team is eliminated from the playoffs. 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:.

The playoffs follow a tournament format. 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. Therefore, the team with the best regular season record in the league is guaranteed home court advantage in every series it plays. 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. This means that, for example, if the team who receives the 6 (six) seed has a better record than the team with the 3 (three) seed (seeded thus by virtue of a divisional championship), the 6 seed would have home court advantage, even though the other team has a higher seed. The Courier of 23 July 1884 recorded one of the first tennis tournaments, held in the grounds of Shrubland Hall (demolished 1948). The team in each series with the better record has home court advantage, including the First Round. In 1874 they formed the Leamington Tennis Club, setting out the original rules of the game.

Since the first seed plays the eighth seed, the second seed plays the seventh seed, the third seed plays the sixth seed, and the fourth seed plays the fifth seed in the playoffs, having a higher seed generally means you will be facing a weaker team. Wellesley Tomkins to found the first lawn tennis club in the world, and played the game on nearby lawns. Having a higher seed offers several advantages. A. Although the playoff brackets are not reseeded, home-court advantage is based strictly on regular-season record, without regard to whether a team won its division. Frederick Haynes and Dr. However, the seeding system has one feature that is unusual in North American sports; division champions do not necessarily have home-court advantage in the playoffs. Pereira joined with Dr.

The remaining five seeds are determined by taking the five teams with the next-best records from among the non-division winning teams in the conference. 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). The top three seeds for each conference are determined by taking the winners of the conference's three divisions and ranking them by regular season record. The game was played on a lawn in Edgbaston. The NBA Playoffs begin in late April, with eight teams in each conference qualifying for the playoffs. 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. There are also two All-Rookie teams, consisting of the top first-year players regardless of position. 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.

There are two All-Defensive teams, consisting of the top defenders at each position. 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. There are three All-NBA teams, consisting of the top players at each position, with first-team status being most desirable. According to how well a person does in sanctioned play, he or she is given a rating (examples from the U.S. The postseason teams are the All-NBA Teams, the All-Defensive Teams, and the All-Rookie Teams; each consists of five players. Players may also be matched by their skill level. Additionally, The Sporting News awards an unofficial (but widely recognized) NBA Executive of the Year Award to the general manager who is adjudged to have done the best job for his franchise. In the four grand slams, the draw (the maximum number of players allowed in a particular category of the tournament) is 128 people.

The NBA Most Valuable Player Award is given to player deemed the most valuable for that season. There are also tournaments for handicapped players. The NBA Coach of the Year Award is awarded to either the best coach in the league or the coach that has made the most positive difference to a team. Tournaments may be arranged for specific age groups, with upper age limits for youth and lower age limits for senior players. The NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award is awarded to the league's best defender. 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). The NBA Most Improved Player Award is awarded to the most improved player. Tournaments are often organized by gender and number of players.

The NBA Rookie of the Year Award is awarded to the best rookie player. 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. The NBA Sixth Man Award is given to the best player coming off the bench (not starting for his team). 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. It is during this time that voting begins for individual awards, as well as the selection of the honorary league-wide postseason teams. 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. In April, the regular season ends. 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.

Major trades are often completed right before the trading deadline, making that day a hectic time for general managers. 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. After this date, teams are not allowed to exchange players with each other for the remainder of the season, although they may still sign and release players.
. Shortly after the All-Star break is the league's trade deadline. A small number of players, notably Monica Seles, use two hands on both the backhand and forehand sides. Other attractions of the All-Star break include the got milk? Rookie Challenge game, which pits the best rookies and the best second-year players against each other; the Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout, a competition between players to see who is the best 3-point shooter; and the Sprite Rising Stars Slam Dunk contest, to see which player dunks the ball in the most entertaining way. Ken Rosewall, another player noted for his one-handed backhand, used a deadly accurate slice backhand with underspin through the 1950s and '60s.

The player with the best performance during the game is rewarded with a Game MVP award. 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. Then, East faces West in the All-Star game. 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. Coaches vote to choose the remaining 14 All-Stars. 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. Fans are balloted throughout the United States, Canada and through the Internet, and the top vote-getters at each position in each conference are given a starting spot on their conference's All-Star team. The first notable players to use two hands were the 1930s Australians Vivian McGrath and John Bromwich.

In February, the NBA regular season is interrupted to celebrate the annual NBA All-Star Game. For most of the 20th Century it was performed with one hand, using either an eastern or a continental grip. Following the recent changes to the National Hockey League's scheduling format, the NBA is now the only major league in which all the teams play each other during the regular season, and where a season ticket holder can see every team in the league come to town in any one season. It can be executed with either one or both hands. A team can therefore have a relatively easy or difficult schedule, depending on the division and conference it is located in. 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. A team faces opponents in its own division four times a year, teams from the other two divisions in its conference either three or four times, and teams in the other conference twice apiece. 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.

Schedules are not identical for all teams. 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. In the regular season, each team plays 82 games, which are divided evenly between home and away games. 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. The NBA regular season begins in the first week of November. 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. After training camp, a series of preseason exhibition games are held. The most important ones are the Continental, the Eastern, and the Western.

Teams have the ability to assign players with less than two years of experience to the NBA development league. There are various grips for executing the forehand and their popularity has fluctuated over the years. Training camps allow the coaching staff to evaluate players (especially rookies), scout the team's strengths and weaknesses, prepare the players for the rigorous regular season, and determine the 12-man active roster (and a 3-man inactive list, if needed) with which they will begin the regular season. Then swing up and across to get the right amount of spin. Following the summer break, teams hold training camps in October. 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.

NBA Entertainment and NBA TV studios are directed out of offices located in Secaucus, New Jersey. 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. The league's several international and individual team offices are directed out its head offices located in the Olympic Tower at 645 Fifth Avenue in New York City. 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 league adopted the name National Basketball Association in the fall of 1949 after merging with the rival National Basketball League. 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 league was founded in New York City on June 6, 1946 as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). 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.

The National Basketball Association, more commonly referred to as the NBA, is the world's premier men's professional basketball league and one of the major professional sports leagues of North America. A serve (or, more formally, a service) in tennis is a shot to start a point. NBA Coach of the Year Award. 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. NBA Rookie of the Year Award. The first player or team to four points wins the game. NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award. No-ad: You play through the match without any ads.

NBA Sixth Man Award. This is played like a regular tie-break but you go to ten instead of seven. NBA Most Improved Player Award. It decides who wins instead of a third set. NBA Most Valuable Player Award, NBA Finals MVP Award. Super tie-break: This is played sometimes after players split sets (Each wins one set). List of Current NBA Team Rosters. All other rules apply.

List of NBA players. A pro set is first to 8 games instead of 6. David Stern, Commissioner since 1984. Pro set: Instead of playing best out of three sets, players may play one pro set. Larry O'Brien, Commissioner from 1975 to 1984. During highschool tennis team matches players may have to follow a few different rules:. Walter Kennedy, President from 1963 to 1967 and Commissioner from 1967 to 1975. The scoring is the same as a regular game.

Maurice Podoloff, President from 1946 to 1963. 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). Basketball Hall of Fame. This involves three players, with one person playing against a doubles team. Waterloo Hawks (1949–1950). Another tennis format is called "Australian doubles" (Sometimes referred to as "Canadian doubles" or "Korean doubles"). Washington Capitols (1946–1951). In such cases, the extra bounce is permitted for the wheelchair users only.

Toronto Huskies (1946–1947). 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. Sheboygan Redskins (1949–1950). This rule makes it possible to have mixed wheelchair and legs matches. Louis Bombers (1946–1950). In wheelchair tennis, in which the players move in wheelchairs instead of using legs, an extra bounce is permitted. St. There is an exception for those who are only able to propel themselves using a foot.

Providence Steamrollers (1946–1949). The use of legs or feet is then prohibited, and the player is required to remain seated in the wheelchair. Pittsburgh Ironmen (1946–1947). Wheelchair tennis can be played by able-bodied players as well as people who require a wheelchair for mobility. Indianapolis Olympians (1949–1953). 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. Indianapolis Jets (1948–1949). The first such change occurs after only seven games, because the first set of balls is also used for the pre-match warm-up.

Detroit Gems (1949–1950). Balls wear out quickly in serious play, and therefore are changed after every nine games. Detroit Falcons (1946–1947). 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. Denver Nuggets (original) (1949–1950). This is increased to 90 seconds when the players change ends (every two games), and a 120 second break is permitted between sets. Cleveland Rebels (1946–1947). In most cases, service is required to occur no more than 20 seconds after the end of the previous point.

Chicago Stags (1946–1950). Stamina is a relevant factor, so arbitrary delays are not permitted. Baltimore Bullets (1947–1955: last NBA team to fold). A tennis match is intended to be continuous. Anderson Packers (1949–1950). 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.