Tennis court

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Empty tennis courts.

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.

Contents

1 Dimensions
2 Types of tennis courts

2.1 Clay courts
2.2 Hard courts
2.3 Grass courts
2.4 Indoor courts

3 Terminology
4 See also
5 External links

Dimensions

Tennis is played on a rectangular flat surface, usually of grass, clay, or concrete (hard court). 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.

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 (though they used grass courts and clay courts in the past), 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(c) "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. 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 a cushioned 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 (though AstroTurf is sometimes used), 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 the world'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 (as of July 2006), has won Grand Slam titles at the hardcourts of the U. S. Open (2004-2005) and Australian Open (2004, 2006), and has reached the final at the clay-court French Open (2006).

Indoor courts

Indoor courts can be made of wood, cement, or 'carpet', also known as Astroturf.

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 (Tramlines) 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.
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.
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.

External links

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