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TENNIS
Tennis, game played with a racket and a ball by two (as in singles) or
four (as in doubles) competitors, on a rectangular court with a net strung
between the midpoints of the longer sides of the court. Tennis may be
played indoors or outdoors. The game ranks as one of the most popular
spectator and participation sports in the world, with fans and competitors
in more than 100 countries. Originally called lawn tennis to distinguish it
from the sport of court tennis, from which it was derived, the game is now
commonly known as tennis.
[pic]The court is marked with white lines to indicate its dimensions and
service areas. The court is 78 ft (23.8 m) long, divided into two equal
sides by a net standing 3 ft (0.9 m) high at the center of the court. For
singles the court is 27 ft (8.2 m) wide. For doubles the addition of alleys
4.5 ft (1.4 m) wide along the two longer sides increases the width to 36 ft
(11 m). (For more detail, see accompanying diagram.) Courts may be of
grass, clay, asphalt, concrete, wood, artificial grass, or other synthetic-
materials. A tennis ball is hollow and composed of inflated rubber covered
with a fabric made of wool and artificial fibers. It is between 2 1/2 and 2
5/8 in (6.35 and 6.67 cm) in diameter and weighs between 2 and 2 1/16 oz
(57.7 and 58.5 g). Yellow and white balls are used in tournament
competition and are the most common colors, although balls of other colors
are manufactured.
There is no uniform design of tennis rackets, and their sizes and
shapes vary. The general classifications, determined by the size of the
racket head, are standard, midsize, oversize, and super oversize. In
tournament play, the maximum length of a racket is 32 in (81.3 cm). The
maximum width is 12.5 in (31.8 cm). The head of the racket may not exceed a
length of 15.5 in (39.4 cm) and a width of 11.5 in (29.2 cm), and it is
usually strung with resilient gut or nylon or other synthetic materials.
There are no restrictions on weight. Rackets were originally made of wood,
but now virtually all rackets are made of such materials as aluminum or
graphite, which are stronger and lighter than wood. The racket handle is
generally covered with a rubber or leather grip. Players usually wear
lightweight clothing, traditionally white, and shoes with nonskid rubber
soles.
A serve begins every point of a tennis match. The player who initiates
the point is called the server, and the one who receives the ball is called
the receiver. To serve, a player tosses the ball into the air and strikes
it before it touches the ground, hitting it into the opponent's service
area, known as the service box. Although players usually employ an overhand
motion to serve, it is permissible to strike the ball underhanded.
The server delivers the ball from behind the baseline. His or her feet
must remain outsid |