The Glossary of Tennis Part I
Tennis is one of the most popular athletics with millions of fans around the globe. However, it is still considered a niche when compared to football and basketball. People may have a basic knowledge about it, at least the general idea, however only a few are familiar with the terminology. If you are just getting started on your trip into this world, or simply enjoy watching the games, not knowing the basics may hinder your fun, not to mention, of course, the profitability of your betting activity at the top Asian and European bookmakers.
The Court
Terms like the racket, the ball, and the net should be widely known. However, to understand the development of a game, the diagram above gives you the full analysis of the dimensions along with the terms:
- Sideline
- Post
- Service court left and right
- Center court
- Forecourt
- Baseline
- Side screen
- Back screen
- Center service court
The only definition that you do not see is the tram lines. Those are the internal borders at the side of the court, set vertical to the net. They form the outer bounds for a game of singles.
Scoring
The winner of a match is determined by the number of scoring denominations they win. These are:
- The point
The winner of any exchange of racket strikes between the opponents is awarded a point.
- The game
To win a game, one of the two players must win 4 points with a difference of 2 from his adversary. An interesting issue here is the calls by the umpire. The first one is given as 15, the second as 30, the third as 40. When the fourth score is awarded, then the call is “game – name of the player that won it”.If both players score three each, then at the time that this balance is achieved the call is “deuce”. The first score afterward is called as “advantage – the name of the player”.
- The set
The first player to win 6 games gets awarded a set. Again, there must be a difference of 2 between the two. If both adversaries have acquired 5 each, then the winner of the set needs a score of 7 – 5. However, should the case be that both get awarded 6 each, then the set is decided by a “tie-breaker”.Depending on the tournament the victor is named by the “best of 3” or “best of 5” rule. In the first case they need to win 2 sets, while in the latter, the number needs to be 3.
Umpire and line judges’ calls
In the modern era there is a system in place that monitors the position where the ball lands after a shot. In the previous years, this was the job of the line judges, i.e. the people sitting at the back or the side screens whose purpose was to see if the hit landed within bounds or not. While there are still courts that have not implemented this system, the calls remain the same:
When the word “Out” is heard, it means that the ball landed either beyond the baseline or outside the tramlines for a game of singles or the sidelines for a game of doubles. If the term is “Fault” then the shot touched a spot within the total playing area that it was not supposed to. This call is heard only after a serve and it means that the aforementioned spot was either beyond the border of the service court or on the wrong service court.
Speaking about serves, if the ball touches the top of the net but falls in the correct service court, then the umpire has to call “Let” (which means that the net let the ball pass) and award the server a repeat of his service.
On the second part of the glossary for the sport, we will examine other common terms that people hear when they are watching any match. Terms like spin, backspin, volley, unforced error, slice, and others. You will need all of them when you open a betting account with a broker and place your bets on your favorite tennis stars.