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Vocabulary: what about a little game of tennis... - English lesson

What about a game of tennis ?  It's the right time for it... The important tournaments have started and are arriving in our latitudes...

Tennis , a typically British activity in its initial solemnity (and its complexity)  appeared in Birmingham, in England, at the end of the 19th century: it was lawn tennis ( lawn being another British speciality!... ) 

The rules of the game are very precise; they may vary very slightly in the different countries where tennis is played also depending of the surface where the games are played. The weather has here a very important role!

These rules have changed very little with time, except for two "details": 

·           - from 1908 to  1961, the server had to keep, at least, one foot on the ground. 

·           - In the 1970s a "tiebreaker" was introduced: (after a draw - at 6 games to six-  a12 point tiebreaker is used) ( minimum 7 points and 2 points difference)

The chair umpire announces the scores (adding 15 at a time, first: 15 (15-0 = 15-love), 15-15, 15-30. Then 30- 40=> game OR 30-30= deuce, then  "advantage X or Y"  till one of the players wins the game. 

The origin of this way of scoring would come from the French 'jeu de paume"! Others prefer the image of the clock and its quarters...(15-love , "deuce" = 2 points away from the game.) these are only suppositions, but funny ones!

A set is won when one of the opponents reaches 6 games  with at least 2 games difference. The outcome of the match is determined after being three sets in a "best of five" for male players in a Grand Slam tournament, Davis Cup  and the Olympic games, and the best of 3 for all other tournaments.  

Female players play the best of 3 sets in all cases. 

In order to play correctly, you'd better get a racket or raquet, tennis balls, a net,  and, of course a court.  For singles (2 players), never use the Doubles sidelines, which are only played for Doubles (4 players). 

 1) The necessary equipment (or gear) and the main actors: 

A (tennis) racket /raquet	The grip (of the handle)	A tennis shoe
Ball boys/girls	The Line judges	The umpire on his chair

 The tournament has a referee, coordinating the different umpires.

2) The different surfaces you can play on: 

a) "Real tennis"... lawn tennis: (Grass courts)

The grass Court  is normally associated with the prestigious Wimbledon Championships, which take place in July. This surface is the fastest one and is quite slippery. The ball has a lower and unpredictable bounce as the soil is softer and not regular at all, thus favouring players with a good serve and net players  such as Roger Federer, Pete Sampras and John McEnroe.

b) The Hard courts are made of concrete or synthetic material:

They are commonly available courts and are easy to maintain. On those surfaces, the ball travels at a speed slower than on Grass Courts, but faster than Clay Courts. The bounce of the ball is high and predictable. They're referred to as the Democratic courts and favour all styles of play, from the "Serve and volley Player" to a Baseliner.

c) Clay longs: the deep red coloured Clay Courts are synonymous with the French Open Championships. It's the slowest surface, as the clay slows down the speed of the ball, reduces its skid and causes a high bounce. A ball played by "hard hitters" makes it easier for the opponent to return the shot. Clay courts are favoured by baseline players who spin their balls : Michael Chang et Rafael Nadal.

3) "The Big Tournaments"=> the Grand Slam:

The Grand Slam Tournaments are composed of the Australian Open (mid-January), the Paris Open (in May and June), of Wimbledon, (in June and July) and of the US Open in August and September. Each tournament lasts two weeks. In Australia and in the United States, they're played on hard surfaces. The French tournament on clay, and Wimbledon on « grass ».

When did they start? 

Wimbledon : 1877, then The US Open : 1881, The French Open in 1891 and the Australian one in 1905. Before1924/25, Wimbledon only was an important tournament, the moment when the Grand Slam was created.

4)  Introducing some shots:

 4) Some world-known stars  thrill us thanks to the extraordinary performances they achieve during matches.

All the champions below have been photographed in action by YA and JM (2 excellent classified and passionate players). Great thanks to them.

A lefthander's serve	A righthander's serve
RAFAEL NADAL	ROGER FEDERER
Lefthanded forehand	Righthanded forehand
RAFAEL NADAL	Roger FEDERER
A lefthander's backhand                                               RAFAEL NADAL	A righthander backhand(2 hands)                        NOVAK DJOKOVIC ("Nole")
A smash    RAFAEL NADAL	Backhand (with an only hand!)                     STAN WAWRINSKA
Lefhanded forehand volley                         RAFAEL NADAL	Righthanded forehand volley                          ROGER FEDERER
Another lefthanded forehand volley                             RAFAEL NADAL	Righthanded backhand volley                       ROGER FEDERER

Roger FEDERER  has won the greatest number of Grand Slam tournaments= 17.

Rafael NADAL ("the King of Clay): has won 46 tournaments,  14 Grand Slam ones  (9 of which are Roland-Garros)

Novak DJOKOVIC ("nole") has won 9 Grand Slam tournaments.

Stan WAWRINKA has won 2 Grand Slam tournaments.

Andy MURRAY has won 2 Grand Slam tournaments too. 

Roland-Garros started this Saturday May 21st 2016 and it was said that 66,000 balls are used during the tournament! In your opinion, which of the two will win it ?

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When Lucy arrived on the Suzanne Lenglen court, she was surprised to see all the opponentsball boys and girlsumpiresline judgesI don't know, running and kneeling as for a very well orchestrated ballet; The height of the bouncesracketsservesnetI don't know was checked. The players had quite a friendly warm-up together. Lucy liked this simple and clear game where you could see series of divesvolleysdouble faultsjumpsI don't know and breaksdeucessmashesdouble faultsI don't know executed with such perfect technical gestures. Suddenly, there was absolute silence: the players were concentrating and choosing the right capracketfootnetI don't know, comparing weight, tension, and courtsgripsvolleysumpiresI don't know,etc.

When Rafa served, he did a backhandan acea double-faulta volleya forehandI don't know, and the supporters cheered. Lucy thought: 'Wow ! Why do I make so many marksdouble faultsaceslinesI don't know ? Serving looks so easy!' The other player, Lucas, was right-handed and it was easier to observe his smashessmilesforehandfaultsI don't know. There was bright sun, and the refereeline judgeball boyball girlumpireI don't know was protected by a huge dark green umbrella. Several times, he went down his chair to show a ball deucemarkacevolleyI don't know and speak to his line judgesplayersopponentsrefereesI don't know...
At the end of the tiebreaksbreakservicematchI don't know, the players' socks and umbrellanetshoesracketsI don't know were red with waterclaybloodsweatI don't know, although both had kept hitting them with their rackets. (Lucy loves doing that, even if she mostly trains on grass courtshard courtsclay courtsI don't know, mini ones, I mean!) This is what little girls, and future tennis champions are like! See you at a Grand Slam tournamenta Great Showan Olympic gameI don't know in a few years, Lucy !

I hope you did great in the test! To thank you, here's a big smile: David FERRER's !

 

                                                                                                 ENJOY !