Tennis is a sport played between either two players ("Singles") or two teams of two players ("doubles"). Players use a stringed racquet to strike a ball, a hollow rubber ball covered in felt, over a net into the opponent's court. 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 court. Originating in England in the late 19th Century, the game spread first throughout the English-speaking world, particularly among the upper classes. Tennis is now an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society, by all ages, and in many countries around the world. Except for the adoption of the tie-breaker in the 1970s, its rules have remained remarkably unchanged since the 1890s. Along with its millions of players, millions of people follow tennis as a spectator sport, especially the four Grand Slam tournaments.

Manner of play

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The court

Tennis is played on a rectangular, flat surface, usually grass, clay, or a hardcourt of concrete and/or asphalt. 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. Additional clear space around the court is required in order for players to reach overrun balls. A net is stretched across the full width of the court, parallel with the baselines, dividing it into two equal ends. The net is 3 feet 6 inches (1.07 m) high at the posts, and 3 feet (914 mm) high in the center.

Types of Courts

There are three main types of courts. Depending on the materials used for the court surfaces, each surface provides a difference in the speed and bounce of the ball, which in turn can affect the level of play of the individual players. The three most common types of courts that are used for play are:

• Clay court
• Grass court
• Hardcourt

Some players are clearly more successful on certain surfaces than on others and become known as, for instance, a "grass-court" or "Clay-court specialist".

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First set: 3-6. Second set: down 1-5, came back to win 7-5. Won the tiebreaker. I love tennis. No wonder it's in two of my novels. cool
Girl78anna (Anna Girl) Sat, 07 Nov 2009 04:43:23 -0000
First set: 3-6. Second set: down 1-5, came back to win 7-5. Won the tiebreaker. I love tennis. No wonder it's in two of my novels. cool
lol o. @iamzyannah ya lips is sexy tho. I know yu ca suck a mean jawn. shit wit dem lips prolly ca suck a tennis ball thru a wendys straw
STEEZODACEO (STEEZO DA CEO) Sat, 07 Nov 2009 04:43:06 -0000
lol o. @iamzyannah ya lips is sexy tho. I know yu ca suck a mean jawn. shit wit dem lips prolly ca suck a tennis ball thru a wendys straw
A Bellingham day - A dog runs frantically across the grass in pursit of a bright green tennis ball. A teenage... http://tumblr.com/xfl3wagyb
ShuleARue (Mikaela) Sat, 07 Nov 2009 04:43:00 -0000
A Bellingham day - A dog runs frantically across the grass in pursit of a bright green tennis ball. A teenage... http://tumblr.com/xfl3wagyb
W. Tennis. Miami Strong in Day Two Action at Indoor Championships http://tinyurl.com/ygeuwqt
hurricanesports (HurricaneSports) Sat, 07 Nov 2009 04:41:15 -0000
W. Tennis. Miami Strong in Day Two Action at Indoor Championships http://tinyurl.com/ygeuwqt
Just home from interclub tennis. I won both my games but the team lost. Nice afternoon tea provided by the host team.
ChickDubber (Chick Dubber) Sat, 07 Nov 2009 04:40:07 -0000
Just home from interclub tennis. I won both my games but the team lost. Nice afternoon tea provided by the host team.
Florida Gators (Official Site) >> Women's Tennis Ends Run at One Tournament and Begins at Another http://bit.ly/3hhbe2
floridabuzztap (Florida Gators Buzz) Sat, 07 Nov 2009 04:38:20 -0000
Florida Gators (Official Site) >> Women's Tennis Ends Run at One Tournament and Begins at Another http://bit.ly/3hhbe2

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