Hon (V)
Alfred Lyttelton.
Sir Edward Grey.
Mr. H. C. Crawley.
Sir Edward Grey.
Ditto.
Ditto.
Ditto.
Ditto.
Ditto.
Mr. H. C. Crawley.
Major A. Cooper Key.
Mr. E. H Miles.
Mr. E. B. Noel.
Mr. W. M. Cazalet.
Capt. R. K. Price.
Tennis Racket. causes of the very fast play which is perhaps the distinctive feature of tennis of the modern type. There is no restriction as to the shape or size of the racket. But its length is usually about 27 inches, and its weight, when properly strung, about sixteen ounces.
Tennis-balls, as used in England, are made, nowadays, entirely of woollen material, and are covered with melton cloth.
According to the "Laws of Tennis" they should not be less than 24 inches and not more than 20 inches in diameter. Their weight should be not less than 24 ounces and not more than 24 ounces. French and American balls differ from English balls.
TENNIS] The Court. Great strides have been made in the methods of finishing the internal parts of a court in recent years and in the lighting. A special preparation is used on the floors and walls which prevents "sweating."
The floors of many older courts were generally of Caen stone, but only a few courts remain now with this stone.
At Queen's, Lord's, and Prince's the floors are made of blue lias, which is, as a whole, most satisfactory. The court recently built at Hardwick, Oxon, for Sir C. D. Rose by Mr. J. Bickley has every latest development, and is to my mind the most perfect court in England. The floor is red in colour, the walls blue-black, and the pent-house very dark green. The roof is white. A general idea of a tennis court, which is usually a covered building, is given by the annexed sketches of the matchcourt at the Queen's Club as it is seen from the room or hall in which spectators assemble to witness a match (Fig. 1) and also from the opposite end of the court (Fig. 2). The term "dedans" is a name for this room, and also for the spectators in it, just as the expression "the pit" denotes a particular part of a theatre, and also the audience there seated. Where there is a second room, behind the dedans proper, it is known as the "false" dedans.
The wall marked A is called the mainwall; that marked B, the gallery-wall; that marked C, the end-wall (Figs. I and 2). An inner-wall runs round three sides of the building, and is connected with the side-wall and end-walls by a D sloping wooden roof, called the pent-house.
The portion of the inner-wall under the end-wall, marked C, is named the grillewall (Fig. 1). In the latter is a square opening called the grille (D). Between the grille and the tambour (E) the main-wall is thickened. The tambour is a kind of buttress, or projection, which, when struck, deflects the ball, and thus gives variety to the play. The openings in the inner-wall, under the side-wall, are called galleries.
The opening (Fig. 2) at the end of the service-side of the court in the inner-wall, opposite the grille-wall, is called the dedans (F), along the back of which runs a stout net, behind which the spectators sit, in the room above-mentioned. Across the court, at a point equidistant from the end-walls, and parallel to them, is hung a net (G). The half of the court between the end-wall over the dedans and the net is called the service-side: the other half is called the hazard-side.
On the service-side the gallery furthest from the net is called the last-gallery, the one next to it the second-gallery, then comes the gallery called the "door," and then the first-gallery. In the space between the firstgallery and the post to which one end of the net is fastened, stands the marker. On the hazard-side there are corresponding galleries. Of these the one which is most remote from the net is often called the 66 winning-gallery," because a ball struck into it at once wins the stroke, just as it wins it when struck into the grille, or dedans.
With the exception of three or four recently built courts, where the same plan was used in each case, all courts vary slightly in dimensions. I give below some of the dimensions of what may be considered an average-sized good modern court.
Greatest internal length, no ft. 6 in.
Length of floor, 96 ft. 6 in.
Greatest internal breadth, 38 ft. 6 in.
Breadth of floor at grille wall, 30 ft.
Breadth of floor at dedans wall, 31 ft. 6 in.
Upper edge of pent-house, IO ft. 7 in.
Lower edge of pent-house, 7 ft. 2 in.
Width of pent-house, 7 ft.
Grille, 3 ft. 3 in. square.
Dedans opening, 21 ft. long.
Play-line at ends, 24 ft.
Play-line at sides, 18 ft.
Net, 5 ft. at either end, 3 ft. in the centre.
Last and winning galleries, 9 ft. 6 in.
Second galleries, 9 ft. 6 in.
Door openings, 3 ft. 6 in.
First galleries, 5 ft. 6 in.
Line opening, 7 ft. 6 in.
Last galleries to end walls, 16 ft. 6 in.
Turning now to the floor of the court, the following lines painted on it deserve the following lines particular attention. (See ground plan.) Grille -Tambous Hazard Side 4 7.9.1 * Scale GROUND PLAN 49 Service Side sp op 79 Dedans The half-court-line, drawn parallel with the side-walls, dividing the court lengthways into practically two equal parts. The service-line, drawn parallel with the end-wall on the hazard-side, at a distance of about 21 feet from it.
The pass-line, drawn from the serviceline to the end-wall, parallel with the halfcourt line, at a distance of about 7 feet from it. With reference to these lines, the service court is the area enclosed by the serviceline, the pass-line, the end-wall, and the sidewall. The pass-court is the area enclosed by the pass-line, the service-line, the endwall, and the main-wall. In addition to the above, lines are drawn on the floor parallel with the end-walls, which are termed the chase-lines. The number of these on the service-side exceeds those on the hazard-side, as there are none on the latter side, between the service-line and the grille wall. On the service-side the first chase-line is half a yard from the end-wall, the second one yard, the third a yard and a half, the fourth two yards, and so on up to six yards. With reference to the distance of each of these chase-lines from the end-wall, the "chases" themselves are named half-a-yard, a yard, I and 2, 2, 2 and 3, 3, 3 and 4, 4, 4 and 5, 5, 5 and 6, 6.
The next chase is half-a-yard worse than 6, the meaning of worse here being "farther from the end-wall," just as the word "better" in connection with the chase means nearer to the end-wall." The next lines are, one opposite the last gallery which denotes a chase equivalent to that opening, and another a yard beyond it, called chase “ ،، دو [TENNIS a yard worse than last gallery. Similar lines are drawn opposite the second-gallery, the door and the first-gallery, which indicate chases equivalent to those openings, and between those lines are other lines, which enable the marker to pronounce whether a chase, for instance, is worse than the secondgallery, or better than the door. The chases on the other side of the net are called hazard-side chases. They start from the service-line, and are named, the first half-a-yard, the second a yard, the third one and two, the fourth two. Then follow the lines which indicate chases equivalent to the openings, second-gallery, the door, and the first-gallery and, in addition, the line midway between those lines. 66 With regard to "the chase," Mr. J. M.
Heathcote has humorously observed that it is an expression which is to the uninitiated what the 'rule in Shelley's case' is to the law student." The expression is used with reference to the second contact of the ball with the floor, called the fall of the ball, at any point where chase-lines are painted, as distinguished from its first bound or contact, called the drop of the ball. A chase is also made if the ball enters any of the openings or galleries, except the dedans, grille, and winning-gallery. Speaking of the chases on the service-side of the court, the author above quoted thus explains how they are played for and how the "winning" or 66 losing" of them affects the score. "When the server mistrusts his ability to return the first or any subsequent stroke of a 'rest,' or when he perceives that the ball will 'fall' far before it reaches the mainwall, or will return far from it, making in either case what is called a 'long chase,' he makes no effort to return it; the marker observes where the ball 'falls,' and calls a chase at the spot where it has 'fallen,' e.g. if the ball falls on the 2 line, he calls 'chase 2'; if in the interval between 'I and 2,' and 2, he calls 'better than 2'; in the interval between 2 and 2 and 3' he calls ' worse than 2,' &c.; no stroke is scored, but the opponents 'change sides,' and 'play for the chase.' The player who made the chase-now the 'server 'tries to 'defend' it; his antagonist, now the 'striker-out,' tries to win it. A chase is won if the ball enters the dedans, or if it 'falls' nearer to the end-wall than the ball which made the chase fell; it is lost if the ball 'falls' further from the end-wall than the ball which made the chase fell."
If the reader carefully reads the Laws of Tennis set out below, in connection with the above explanation and the description of the following illustrative "games," he will probably be able to understand and follow a match between two good players with little TENNIS] difficulty, and derive therefrom almost as much pleasure as if he were playing himself.
The three following "games" are meant for the "uninitiated," and are, therefore, not described in language of too technical a nature. They are intended to be fair specimens of games which might be played by any two players in a tennis-court.
GAME I. (In which no chases are made.) 66 out "chase 2.” X serves again, and this time the ball from Y's racket enters the second-gallery. The marker calls out "chase second-gallery." Y has now made two chases, the first a good or "short" one, the second a bad or "long" one, and the players change sides to "play for them."
Y is now the server, X the striker-out. The first chase made is the first played for, and the marker to remind the players what they have to do, calls out, "chase 2." Y serves and X returns the ball. Y, watching the ball carefully, sees that it will "fall" further from the end-wall than 2. He therefore leaves it alone, and the marker calls out "lost it." This means that X has lost the chase, and Y's score is therefore credited with a stroke: 15-0. The second chase is now played for, and the marker again reminds the players what they have to do by calling out "chase second-gallery."
This time X, either with his first stroke or (it may be) after several returns on both sides, strikes the ball into the "door." The marker calls out "lost it," and another stroke is added to Y's score: 30-0. Had X won both chases by succeeding in making his ball "fall" better (that is, nearer the end-wall) than 2, and better than secondgallery respectively, his-and not Y'sscore would have been 30-0. With the strokes 30-0 in his favour, Y now delivers a service which X fails to return: 40-0.
But off the next service X " lays down" or "makes" chase a yard. As the strokes are 40-0, and the next stroke may be decisive of the game, the players change sides again to play for the chase. The position now is that X is again the server, and Y has to try and win a very short chase. As X carelessly, or unskilfully, delivers a service which gives a good opportunity for finding the dedans with either a straight" or "boasted" force, Y does not attempt to the dedans, and if the ball enters it, he wins the chase, the stroke, and the game. If, however, X succeeds in stopping the ball, that is, prevents it from entering the dedans, and returns it so that his opponent fails again to return it, he is said to "successfully defend" the chase, and the marker calls the score 15-40. Assuming this to be the state of the score, X continues to serve, and Y establishes a short chase, viz., chase I and The players X and Y enter the court from the side-passage, by a door, in front of which the marker stands. ✗ spins his racket on the floor for choice of sides, and Y calls "rough," that being the name for the side of the racket which shows the knots of the strings, while "smooth" indicates the other side. X, having won the spin, usually chooses the service-side of the court, and delivers the first service. Y fails to return the ball over the net. The marker calls out 15-love." X serves again. Y returns the ball. X striking the ball, on the volley or after the first bound, makes it enter the grille. The marker calls out " 30love." X now serves two faults. Y therefore wins a stroke, and the marker, who names first the last stroke won, calls out 15-30." Y now succeeds in striking the next service he receives into the dedans: 30 all. But in the next rest X "finds the winning-gallery," that is, succeeds in hitting the ball into that opening: 40-30. The next stroke, if won by X, would give him the game, but he loses it, as he hits the ball out of play (see Law 10) after Y has returned it. The marker therefore calls out " deuce."
Neither player can now secure the game until he wins two consecutive strokes. The next stroke won by either player is called advantage." If the same player wins the following stroke, the marker calls out " game." If he loses it the marker calls win the chase in the floor, but " goes for" “ 66 66 دو out "deuce." The score can thus alternate between "deuce" and "advantage" an indefinite number of times. X at last delivers a "nick-service," which Y cannot return, and then X finds the grille. The result is that X wins the game, and the players are left as they were when it was begun, that is, X is still the server and Y the striker-out.
GAME II. (Illustrating "playing for chases" made on the service-side from the hazard-side.) X continues to serve. Y returns the first service so that X cannot reach the ball.
The marker, seeing that it "falls" (i.e., comes into contact with the floor for the second time) on the line numbered 2, calls VOL. IV 2. “ “ With the strokes 40-15 in his favour, Y must now cross over to defend, and X to attack this chase. Y serves, and X's return of the ball "falls" in chase 2, that is, worse than the chase played for, and the marker calls out "lost it." Y therefore wins the chase, the stroke, and the game, in which his opponent has scored only one stroke.
T GAME III. (Illustrating" playing for chases" made on the hazard-side from the service-side.) At the beginning of the third game Y is on the service-side and X on the hazardside. In the course of a rest, the former hits the ball hard on to the tambour. The ball is sharply deflected, and, after "dropping," rises from the floor, touches the battery-wall, that is, the wall under the galleries, and eventually "falls" on the line indicating chase a yard on the hazard-side.
The marker calls out "chase hazard a yard." A similar stroke by Y results in the ball falling on the line indicating chase half a yard on the hazard side. The marker calls out "chase hazard half a yard."
Two hazard-side chases have now been made by Y, and the players change sides to play for them. As was the case when chases on the service-side came to be contested, the marker, before X delivers the service, calls out distinctly the name of the first hazard-side chase, and when that is lost or won, the name of the second. Supposing that Y successfully defends both chases, his score stands at 30-0. He now, being on the hazard-side, makes chase better than 3, and X then from the service-side strikes the ball into the second-gallery hazard-side, thus making the chase named. Though the first chase has been made by one player on the service-side, and the second by the other on the hazard-side, there are, nevertheless, two chases established, and the players must change sides to play for them. The reader and the players must remember all this time that the strokes, as the result of the play in connection with the first two hazard-side chases, are 30-0 in favour of Y, who has now first to defend chase better than 3. This he succeeds in doing by delivering such a service that X can with difficulty return it, and indeed only just gets the ball over the net, so that the chase is easily lost: 40-0. Y has now to attack the hazardside chase. This he can best do by endeavouring to deliver a "nick-service," and, if he does so, he wins the chase, the stroke, and the game, in which his opponent has failed to score a single stroke.
SO To players, as distinguished from spectators, the following is tendered as practical advice, which may be of service to them when they first begin to play tennis. (1) Remember always to serve carefully with reference to the chase which is being played for, whether it be a chase on the service-side which you are defending, or one on the hazard-side which you are attacking. (2) Be on your guard against forgetting altogether in the excitement of a long rest, [TENNIS the fact that you are defending or attacking a chase. When defending chases, especially, beginners are liable, in their excitement, to return, or attempt to return, a ball which would have "lost the chase." (3) Remember that a chase on the service-side is successfuly defended by striking the ball into any of the openings on the hazard-side, and that a chase on the hazard-side is successfully defended by striking the ball into any of the openings on the service-side. (4) Do not attempt to play games at all until you have had at least a dozen lessons from a competent teacher, who will show you how to hold your racket, how to hit the ball with the proper "stroke," and (a matter of the greatest importance) how to serve in one or more of the orthodox modes of delivering the service.
G. E. A. Ross.
Revised by E. B. NOEL.
THE LAWS OF TENNIS.