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Serve (tennis)
Encyclopedia
A serve in tennis
is a shot to start a point
. A player begins a serve by tossing the ball into the air and hitting it (usually near the highest point of the toss) into the diagonally opposite backside box without being stopped by the net. The ball can only touch the net on a return and will be considered good if it falls on the opposite side. If the ball contacts the net on the serve but then proceeds to the proper backside box, it is called a let; this is not a legal serve in the major tours (but see below) although it is also not a fault.
Players typically serve overhead, but serving underhand, although rare, is allowed. The serve is the only shot a player can take their time to set up instead of having to react to an opponent's shot.
The serve is one of the more difficult shots for a novice, but once mastered it can be a considerable advantage. Advanced players can hit the serve in many different ways and often use it as an offensive weapon to gain an advantage in the point or to win it outright. Because of this, professional players are expected to win most of their service games, and the ability to break an opponent's serve plays a crucial role in a match.
A foot fault takes place when the server assumes an illegal position while serving. A server's feet must not touch the baseline or the extension of the center line until the ball is struck. The server is also required to stay roughly on the same position to prevent the opponent from being misled as to where the serve will originate. Running or walking while serving is not allowed.
If the server tosses and swings his racket but misses the ball, it is a fault, but if a server is unsatisfied with his toss, and catches the ball or allows it to fall, there is no fault and the server may repeat the service attempt.
A service is called a let when the ball hits the net cord but still lands in the service court. Such a serve is not considered a fault and the server may repeat the service attempt. A ball that hits the net cord but lands outside the service box is still a fault.
The term "kick serve" is ambiguous. Many use it as a synonym for the "Twist serve or American Twist." But most use the term "kick serve" to refer to any serve with heavy topspin/kick on it - that is, the kick serve and/or the twist serve.
Each type of serve has its tactical advantages. By varying the type of serve and its placement, the server gains the advantage in delivering a great variety of serves.
The flat and the slice serves are used primarily as first serves, as they are most likely to ace or force an error although they leave a small margin for error. Second serves usually have topspin/kick on them, which makes them much less likely to land in the net or out. Kick serves also make a good change-up as a first serve.
The fastest serve ever recorded was by Ivo Karlović
at 251.0 km/h (155.96 mph).
Among women, the fastest serves have been struck by Brenda Schultz-McCarthy
and Venus Williams
at 209 km/h (130 mph).
A flat serve must come close to the net, so it has a small margin for error. Therefore, flat serves are most often hit straight down the center, where the net is lowest, and they usually are delivered as first serves, when the server can afford the risk.
A sliced serve's sidespin causes the ball to curve leftward and skid when it bounces, curving further leftward after the bounce. A good slice serve curves so much that it can draw the receiver ten feet wide of the singles sideline to play the ball.
The ball is thrown slightly to the right of the server's head and is struck at the 2 or 3 o'clock position.
Since a slice serve has little or no topspin on it, it cannot be aimed high over the net and has little margin for error. So, it is generally used only as a first serve. It can be used to ace the receiver, to draw the receiver off the court and out of position, or to "jam" the receiver with a serve curving sharply into his or her body.
The reverse Slice serve is hardly ever used in professional or amateur tennis except as a novelty. As the word "reverse" is defined, one must hit opposite to the side and opposite to the path of the Slice struck serve.
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The reverse Kick/American Twist serve is hardly ever used in professional or amateur tennis except as a novelty. As the word "reverse" is defined, one must hit opposite to the side and opposite to the path of the Kick struck serve.
Retired players:
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
is a shot to start a point
Point (tennis)
A point in tennis is the smallest subdivision of the match, the completion of which changes the score. A point can consist of a double fault by the server, in which case it is won by the receiver; otherwise, it begins with a legal serve by one side's server to the receiver on the other, and...
. A player begins a serve by tossing the ball into the air and hitting it (usually near the highest point of the toss) into the diagonally opposite backside box without being stopped by the net. The ball can only touch the net on a return and will be considered good if it falls on the opposite side. If the ball contacts the net on the serve but then proceeds to the proper backside box, it is called a let; this is not a legal serve in the major tours (but see below) although it is also not a fault.
Players typically serve overhead, but serving underhand, although rare, is allowed. The serve is the only shot a player can take their time to set up instead of having to react to an opponent's shot.
The serve is one of the more difficult shots for a novice, but once mastered it can be a considerable advantage. Advanced players can hit the serve in many different ways and often use it as an offensive weapon to gain an advantage in the point or to win it outright. Because of this, professional players are expected to win most of their service games, and the ability to break an opponent's serve plays a crucial role in a match.
Legal serves
For any given point, the server is permitted two attempts at a successful serve. A successful serve occurs when a legally-delivered ball lands in the cross-court service box without touching anything in flight. If the ball lands outside the box, it is a fault. If both service attempts result in faults, it is a double fault and the point is awarded to the receiver.A foot fault takes place when the server assumes an illegal position while serving. A server's feet must not touch the baseline or the extension of the center line until the ball is struck. The server is also required to stay roughly on the same position to prevent the opponent from being misled as to where the serve will originate. Running or walking while serving is not allowed.
If the server tosses and swings his racket but misses the ball, it is a fault, but if a server is unsatisfied with his toss, and catches the ball or allows it to fall, there is no fault and the server may repeat the service attempt.
A service is called a let when the ball hits the net cord but still lands in the service court. Such a serve is not considered a fault and the server may repeat the service attempt. A ball that hits the net cord but lands outside the service box is still a fault.
First and second serves
The rules make no distinction between the first and second serve. However, the tactics used are different. The first serve is typically struck with the maximum power, skill, and deception the player is capable of with the aim of winning the point either outright or on the next stroke, by forcing the receiver into a disadvantageous position. The second serve is usually more conservative to avoid getting a double fault, and is typically hit with less power or a higher curve.Types of serve
In the game of tennis, there are four commonly used serves , two of which can be hit "reversed". The Flat serve, the Slice/reverse Slice serve, the Kick/American Twist/reverse Kick/American Twist serve, and the Underhanded serve. All these serves are legal and allowed for use in professional and amateur play.The term "kick serve" is ambiguous. Many use it as a synonym for the "Twist serve or American Twist." But most use the term "kick serve" to refer to any serve with heavy topspin/kick on it - that is, the kick serve and/or the twist serve.
Each type of serve has its tactical advantages. By varying the type of serve and its placement, the server gains the advantage in delivering a great variety of serves.
The flat and the slice serves are used primarily as first serves, as they are most likely to ace or force an error although they leave a small margin for error. Second serves usually have topspin/kick on them, which makes them much less likely to land in the net or out. Kick serves also make a good change-up as a first serve.
The fastest serve ever recorded was by Ivo Karlović
Ivo Karlovic
Ivo Karlović is a Croatian tennis player. He has won four ATP singles titles: three in 2007 and one in 2008. Karlović is the tallest player ever on the ATP Tour at 208 cm . He is a serve-and-volleyer, Karlovic holds the fastest serve recorded in professional tennis, measured at 251 km/h ...
at 251.0 km/h (155.96 mph).
Among women, the fastest serves have been struck by Brenda Schultz-McCarthy
Brenda Schultz-McCarthy
Brenda Anne Marie Schultz-McCarthy is a Dutch tennis player. Primarily known for her maiden name Brenda Schultz, she married Sean McCarthy, a former American football player at University of Cincinnati, on 8 April 1995 and adopted his surname...
and Venus Williams
Venus Williams
Venus Ebony Starr Williams is an American professional tennis player who is a former World No. 1 and is ranked World No. 101 as of 10 October 2011 in singles and World No. 20 in doubles as of 2011. She has been ranked World No. 1 in singles by the Women's Tennis Association on three separate...
at 209 km/h (130 mph).
Flat serve
A flat serve is hit with a Continental and a swing path directly through the ball so that it doesn't spin and cuts through the air very fast. Professionals can hit flat serves at speeds approaching and sometimes exceeding 150 mph.A flat serve must come close to the net, so it has a small margin for error. Therefore, flat serves are most often hit straight down the center, where the net is lowest, and they usually are delivered as first serves, when the server can afford the risk.
Slice/reverse Slice serve
A slice serve is hit with sidespin, imparted by brushing the back of the ball rightward at contact. (A left-handed server brushes the back of the ball leftward at contact.) It is commonly hit with the Continental grip or the Eastern backhand grip (using the forehand face of the racket).A sliced serve's sidespin causes the ball to curve leftward and skid when it bounces, curving further leftward after the bounce. A good slice serve curves so much that it can draw the receiver ten feet wide of the singles sideline to play the ball.
The ball is thrown slightly to the right of the server's head and is struck at the 2 or 3 o'clock position.
Since a slice serve has little or no topspin on it, it cannot be aimed high over the net and has little margin for error. So, it is generally used only as a first serve. It can be used to ace the receiver, to draw the receiver off the court and out of position, or to "jam" the receiver with a serve curving sharply into his or her body.
The reverse Slice serve is hardly ever used in professional or amateur tennis except as a novelty. As the word "reverse" is defined, one must hit opposite to the side and opposite to the path of the Slice struck serve.
Kick/American Twist/reverse Kick/American Twist serve
The Kick/American Twist serve was introduced by Holcombe Ward, and Dwight Davis in the late 1800's. The Kick serve is generated by tossing the ball up, and over the head, and then hitting it at the 7 or 8 o'clock position brushing up, and through the ball toward the 1 of 2 o'clock position. When hit correctly, the ball clears the net in a high arch with heavy topspin causing the ball to dive down into the service box, and upon hitting the surface of the court, bouncing high directly toward (Kick), or to the left (American Twist), to the receiver facing the struck serve. For the physics involved in the flight of spinning balls, see the Magnus effectMagnus effect
The Magnus effect is the phenomenon whereby a spinning object flying in a fluid creates a whirlpool of fluid around itself, and experiences a force perpendicular to the line of motion...
.
The reverse Kick/American Twist serve is hardly ever used in professional or amateur tennis except as a novelty. As the word "reverse" is defined, one must hit opposite to the side and opposite to the path of the Kick struck serve.
Underhanded serve
The Underhanded serve is struck underhanded. In children's tennis, many of the very young children are encouraged to use the Underhand serve on 36' courts.Serve terminology
- AceAce (tennis)In tennis, an ace is a legal serve that is not touched by the receiver, winning the point.In professional tennis, aces are generally seen on a player's first serve, where the server can strike the ball with maximum force and take more chances with ball placement .The most common placement of an ace...
– a serve (not a fault or a let) that is untouched by the opponent. - Break – server losing his or her game.
- Break point – one point away from a break.
- Challenge – when either player disputes whether the ball landed inside or outside the designated service box. Each player is allowed up to three unsuccessful challenges per set.
- Double fault – hitting a fault on the second service. The server loses the point.
- Fault – an unsuccessful serve that does not start the point because the ball does not land in the opponent's designated service box.
- Foot fault – a fault caused by the server stepping across his base line or the center line before striking the ball with his racquet.
- Hold – Server winning the game.
- Let – when the ball touches the net but lands within the opponent's designated service box. The serve is replayed.
- On serve – both players have held each of their service games in the set or had an equal number of service breaks in the set, putting them "back on serve".
- Service winner – a serve that is touched by the opponent, but not returned.
Players with great serves
Players with demonstrably notable extremely powerful serve and accurate are:- Roger FedererRoger FedererRoger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player who held the ATP no. 1 position for a record 237 consecutive weeks, and 285 weeks overall. As of 28 November 2011, he is ranked World No. 3 by the Association of Tennis Professionals . Federer has won a men's record 16 Grand Slam singles titles...
- Ivo KarlovicIvo KarlovicIvo Karlović is a Croatian tennis player. He has won four ATP singles titles: three in 2007 and one in 2008. Karlović is the tallest player ever on the ATP Tour at 208 cm . He is a serve-and-volleyer, Karlovic holds the fastest serve recorded in professional tennis, measured at 251 km/h ...
- John IsnerJohn IsnerJohn Robert Isner is an American professional tennis player. He achieved his career-high rank of no. 18 on July 5, 2010, and has been as high as the second-ranked American tennis player behind Andy Roddick...
- Andy RoddickAndy RoddickAndrew Stephen "Andy" Roddick is an American professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. He is currently the second highest-ranked American player, behind Mardy Fish....
- Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
- Tomas BerdychTomáš BerdychTomáš Berdych is a professional tennis player from the Czech Republic. His most notable achievements are reaching the final of the 2010 Wimbledon Championships, and the semifinals of the 2010 French Open. He defeated the Croatian player Ivan Ljubičić in five sets to win the Paris Masters in 2005...
- Robin SoderlingRobin SöderlingRobin Bo Carl Söderling is a professional tennis player from Sweden who is currently ranked number 13 in the ATP rankings. Söderling reached successive French Open finals in 2009 and 2010...
- Gael MonfilsGaël MonfilsGaël Sébastien Monfils is a French professional tennis player. he was the highest-ranked French tennis player, ranked no. 7 in the world ATP rankings. He was the runner-up at the Paris Masters in 2009 and 2010 and a semifinalist at the 2008 French Open.-2002:In 2002, Monfils finished 24th at the...
- Juan Martin Del PotroJuan Martin Del PotroJuan Martín del Potro is an Argentine professional tennis player. Del Potro achieved a top-10 ranking by the Association of Tennis Professionals for the first time on October 6, 2008. In January 2010, he reached a career-high ranking of world no. 4...
- Philipp PetzschnerPhilipp PetzschnerPhilipp Petzschner is a professional German tennis player. He is known for his hard-hitting and incredible bursts of speed around the court, and now for controversy in the US Open Men's Doubles Final which he won partnered with Jurgen Melzer against the Polish team of Fystenberg/Matkowski...
- Michael LlodraMichaël LlodraMichaël Llodra is a French professional tennis player. He is a prolific doubles player with three Grand Slam championships, and has also had success in singles.-Life and career:...
- Nicolas MahutNicolas MahutNicolas Pierre Armand Mahut is a French tennis player. Mahut is right-handed and has previously won the Orange Bowl in 1999, becoming professional in 2000. He is a good serve and volleyer and a doubles expert, having won many tournaments with his doubles partner Julien Benneteau. His career high...
- Feliciano LopezFeliciano LópezFeliciano López Diaz-Guerra is a Spanish professional male tennis player. He was born in Toledo and now lives in the Spanish capital Madrid....
- Radek StepanekRadek ŠtepánekRadek Štěpánek is a professional tennis player from the Czech Republic.-Career:Štěpánek turned professional in 1997. He started on tour as a doubles specialist, winning 12 ATP titles. Since 2002, Štěpánek has focused on being a better singles player while still playing top-level doubles...
- Milos RaonicMilos RaonicMilos Raonic is a Canadian professional tennis player from Thornhill, Ontario, Canada.Born in what is now Podgorica, Montenegro, Raonic moved to Canada with his family at the age of 3. Raonic is Canada's highest ATP ranked male singles player and the country's highest ever ranked player since...
Retired players:
- Pete SamprasPete SamprasPete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former world no. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam singles titles and became recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time....
- Goran IvanisevicGoran IvaniševicGoran Ivanišević is a retired Croatian professional tennis player. He is best remembered for being the only person to win the men's singles title at Wimbledon as a wildcard. He achieved this in 2001, having previously been runner-up at the championships in 1992, 1994 and 1998. Ivanišević is famous...
- Boris BeckerBoris BeckerBoris Franz Becker is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Germany. He is a six-time Grand Slam singles champion, an Olympic gold medalist, and the youngest-ever winner of the men's singles title at Wimbledon at the age of 17...
- Stefan EdbergStefan EdbergStefan Bengt Edberg is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Sweden. A major proponent of the serve-and-volley style of tennis, he won six Grand Slam singles titles and three Grand Slam men's doubles titles. He also won one season ending championship title the Masters Grand Prix...
Serve-record holders
- Pete SamprasPete SamprasPete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former world no. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam singles titles and became recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time....
(Considered by many to have the greatest serve of all time. First player to record 1000 aces in a season in 1993.) - Goran IvaniševićGoran IvaniševicGoran Ivanišević is a retired Croatian professional tennis player. He is best remembered for being the only person to win the men's singles title at Wimbledon as a wildcard. He achieved this in 2001, having previously been runner-up at the championships in 1992, 1994 and 1998. Ivanišević is famous...
(holds the record for most aces in a season, most seasons leading the tour in aces, and most aces of all-time - Ivo KarlovićIvo KarlovicIvo Karlović is a Croatian tennis player. He has won four ATP singles titles: three in 2007 and one in 2008. Karlović is the tallest player ever on the ATP Tour at 208 cm . He is a serve-and-volleyer, Karlovic holds the fastest serve recorded in professional tennis, measured at 251 km/h ...
(holds the record for the fastest men's serve) - John IsnerJohn IsnerJohn Robert Isner is an American professional tennis player. He achieved his career-high rank of no. 18 on July 5, 2010, and has been as high as the second-ranked American tennis player behind Andy Roddick...
(holds the record for most aces in a tennis match) - Venus WilliamsVenus WilliamsVenus Ebony Starr Williams is an American professional tennis player who is a former World No. 1 and is ranked World No. 101 as of 10 October 2011 in singles and World No. 20 in doubles as of 2011. She has been ranked World No. 1 in singles by the Women's Tennis Association on three separate...
(holds the record for fastest serve on the women's tour) - Serena WilliamsSerena WilliamsSerena Jameka Williams is an American professional tennis player and a former world no. 1. The Women's Tennis Association has ranked her world no. 1 in singles on five separate occasions. She became the world no. 1 for the first time on July 8, 2002 and regained this ranking for the fifth time on...
(Most aces served by a female at a Grand Slam) - Roger FedererRoger FedererRoger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player who held the ATP no. 1 position for a record 237 consecutive weeks, and 285 weeks overall. As of 28 November 2011, he is ranked World No. 3 by the Association of Tennis Professionals . Federer has won a men's record 16 Grand Slam singles titles...
(holds the record for most aces in a Grand-Slam final) - Andy RoddickAndy RoddickAndrew Stephen "Andy" Roddick is an American professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. He is currently the second highest-ranked American player, behind Mardy Fish....
(holds the record for fastest serve at a Grand Slam)