Tennis court
A tennis court is where a game of
tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net standing across the center.
Encyclopedia
A
tennis court is where a game of
tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net standing across the center.
Dimensions
Tennis is played on a rectangular flat surface, usually of
grass,
clay, or
concrete . The court is 78
feet long, and its width is 27 feet for singles matches and 36 feet for doubles matches. Additional clear space around the court is needed 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 high at the posts, and 3 feet high in the center.
The court on the right side of each player is called the
deuce court, while the left side is called the
ad court.
Types of tennis courts
There are four main types of courts depending on the materials used for the court surface:
clay courts, hard courts,
grass courts and indoor courts. Each type creates different advantages to certain playing styles.
Of the Grand Slam tournaments, the U.S. Open and
Australian Open use hardcourts , the French Open is played on clay, and
Wimbledon is played on grass.
Clay courts
Clay courts are made of crushed shale, stone or brick, and are either red or green. The red clay is slower than the green, or Har-Tru "American" clay. Clay courts are considered "slow", because the balls bounce relatively high and more slowly, making it more difficult for a player to hit an unreturnable shot. Points are usually longer as there are fewer
winners. Therefore, clay courts heavily favor
baseliners who are consistent and are generally more defensive. Clay courters also favor the "full western grip" for more topspin. Clay courters generally play in a semi circle about 5 to 10 feet behind the baseline. They also use drop shots to throw off their opponents. Movement on clay courts is very different than on any other surface. Playing on clay often involves the ability to slide into the ball during the stroke, as opposed to running and stopping like on a hard or grass court. This often causes problems for players who are not used to this type of movement. Clay courts are more common in Europe and South America than in the United States. In the U.S. courts made of rubico are often called "clay," but are not made of the same clay used in most European and South American countries. The French Open uses clay courts. Currently the best clay court player is Rafael Nadal from Spain, who recently broke the men's record of consecutive wins on clay courts, previously at 53, and with his 2006 French Open win now has 60 straight victories. Nadal has not lost on clay since April 2005.
Hard courts
Hard courts, usually made of cement or plastic, are considered "medium to fast" surfaces, where fast, low bounces keep rallies short, and powerful, hard-serving players have a slight advantage. Hard courts can vary in speed, but they are faster than clay courts and slower than grass courts. These courts are considered the most equal for all playing styles. The US Open is played on DecoTurf, an acrylic hard court, while the
Australian Open is played on Rebound Ace, a synthetic hardcourt.
Grass courts
Grass courts are the fastest tennis courts. They consist of grass grown on very hard-packed soil, similar to golf greens , which adds an additional variable: bounces depend on how healthy the grass is, how recently it has been mowed, and the wear and tear of recent play. Points are usually very short and the serve plays a more important role. Grass courts tend to favor
serve-and-volley tennis players, such as
John McEnroe or
Martina Navrátilová. The most famous grass tennis court in the world is Centre Court at
Wimbledon. The surface is less firm than hard courts, causing the ball to bounce less high, and so players must reach the ball faster. Serve and volley players take advantage of the surface by serving the ball and then running to the net to cut off the return of serve, leaving their opponent with little time to reach the low-bouncing, fast-moving ball. Due to high maintenance costs however, grass courts are now rare as they must be watered and mowed often, and take a longer time to dry after rain than hard courts.
For a more extensive discussion of the skills most advantageous on grass court, please see Grass Court Specialist.
Roger Federer is considered today's best grass court player, having won his fourth straight
Wimbledon title on July 9, 2006 and extending his winning streak on grass courts to a record 48 matches. Due to his dominance at Wimbledon and his grass court streak, grass is considered Federer's best surface. However, he is not necessarily considered a grass court specialist, but rather the best all-court player; he has been ranked #1 in the world for over two years , has won Grand Slam titles at the hardcourts of the U. S. Open and Australian Open , and has reached the final at the clay-court French Open .
Indoor courts
Indoor courts can be made of wood, cement, or 'carpet', also known as Astroturf. Carpet style indoor courts are the most common, and are generally fairly fast, although not as fast as grass courts. Cement indoor courts have similar characteristics to most hard courts. Wood courts are the least common indoor surface, and tend to play fast as well.
Terminology
Common tennis court terms:
- Ad court the left side of the receiving team, the right side of the opponent's court as viewed from the server's side, significant as the receiving side for an Ad point.
- Alley the zone between the single court and the doubles court, one on the Ad side, one on the Deuce side. These are only used when playing doubles.
- Baseline The line dividing the "out" area from the "in" area made up of the back line of no man's land and the small back side of the alleys.
- Deuce court the right side of the receiving team, the left side of the opponent's court as viewed from the server's side, significant as the receiving side for a Deuce point.
- Hash Mark The 12-inch mark at the halfway point of the baseline used to distinguish the two halves of a tennis court.
- Middle T
- Service box is made up of the singles boundary and the closest line that runs parallel with the net. There is a left and right service box that is divided by the line running down the center of the court.
- Side T
- No man's land the area between the baseline and the service line. It's not recommended to play in this area because this is where balls usually bounce.
- Service Line the line that is parallel to the net and is located between the baseline and the net. It marks the end of the service boxes.
See also
External links
