Tennis
The Sport
Tennis is a world-renowned sport. It is played all year round in South Africa at amateur and professional levels.
This game is played with either one opposing player or two opposing players on each side. When the game is played with one opposing player it is called singles. When it is played with two opposing players it is called doubles. Men usually play men and women play women. There is an exception to the rule, in mixed doubles a man and woman play on each side. In order to play you need a court and net, a tennis ball and tennis racket.
The game is played on a flat surface called a court. The court is a rectangle and is divided into halves by a net that stretches across the middle. The net is 91 centimetres high held by two poles 107 centimetres high. The court is 23.7 metres long and is marked off so that both singles and doubles can be played on it. The surface of the outdoor court can be asphalt, clay, concrete or grass. Most indoor courts are made of synthetic material.
The tennis ball must be hollow and made of rubber covered with a yellow felt fabric. A tennis ball must be have a diameter of approximately 6.35 centimetres and must weigh about 56.7 grams.
The tennis racket may vary in size and weight as there are no rules that govern its size. Nearly all rackets are 68 centimetres long. Nowadays rackets are made of steel or metal alloy. The striking surface is made of lightly strung catgut or nylon strings.
Before playing the players toss a racket to decide who will serve first and which side of the court the players will play on. The game then begins and points are scored in terms of points, games and sets. A point is scored when the opposing side fails to return a ball or commits an error. To win a game one side must score four points and lead by at least two points. The first point is 15, the second 30, the third 40 and the fourth game point. A score of zero of love. The server's score is always given first. To win a set one side must win six games and lead by at least two.
The serve starts the game and is performed at the start of each point. The server must toss the ball up into the air and strike the ball up into the air and strike the ball before it hits the ground into the diagonally opposite block. After the serve the receiver must hit the ball on the first bounce and return it over the net. The ball must land inside the specialised lines.