Tennis is an individual or pairs sport where players use racquets to volley a ball over a net.

Two players, or two pairs of players volley a small rubber ball over a net. The players aim to hit the ball in areas on the court where the opposing player will be unable to return it. Matches are usually played outdoors, and can be played on various surfaces.

The goal of tennis is to win more sets than the competition, and in effect, the match.

Play is started by an overhead service which must land within the diagonally opposite service box. If the ball hits the net or lands outside the service box, a fault is called. If the server fails to deliver a proper serve on two consecutive attempts, a double fault is called and a point is awarded to opposing player. Players volley until one hits the ball out of bounds, allows the ball to bounce more than twice on their own side or has the net return a hit ball. When any of these occur, a point is awarded.

Scoring follows the following progression: 15, 30, 40, (game winning point). When a player has 0 points, their score is love. When the score is tied at 40, it is referred to as deuce. If the game's score reaches deuce, a player must win by two points. The player to score first while the score is deuce is given the advantage.

The first player to win 6 games, wins a set. International play dictates men must win three sets, and women must win two, to win a match.

Tennis was developed in England in the late 19th century by members of the upper class, who incorporated rules and techniques from older racquet and net games. The first national championship was held soon after, at Wimbledon. The game quickly became popular amongst society's elite in France, Australia and the United States, which by the turn of the century had established their own national championships. These four tournaments (Wimbledon, French Open, Australian Open, US Open) remain the most prestigious in the tennis. By the mid-20th century, the worldwide growth of tennis led the game to lose its image of being an upper class pursuit. Today, tennis is an Olympic event played by millions of men and women around the world.

Net
Racquet
Tennis Ball

Tennis is a game that has been known to cause specific damage to players' knees and elbows. Injuries can be avoided by stretching before matches and using proper form while playing.

Tennis players heavily rely on agility and quickness. As such, training methods center around developing these skills.

Ace - a service the opposing player is unable to return

Backhand - swinging the racquet across the body

Deuce - a score of 40-40

Fault - occurs when a player improperly serves

Love - a score of zero

Rally a series of hits that eventually ends with one player scoring a point

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennis