Lawn Tennis
As the name suggests, we have TWO all-weather courts as any rain will quickly drain away. They have become very popular among clubs because they can be used all year without any loss of performance.
TRIVIA:
1. Tennis originated in France and is based on a game called 'Jeu de paume'
Long before the emergence of lawn tennis, agame called 'Jeu de paume' (game of the
palm) was played in 12th century France, which is believed to be the forerunner of
the sport as it exists today. The game was similar to modern-day tennis, but the
players used their bare hands to play instead of racquets.
2. The world's oldest tennis court is still in use today
The Royal Tennis Court located at Hampton Court Palace, London is the world's oldest
tennis court and it is still in use.Built between 1526 and 1529, it was Henry VIII's
preferred venue to indulge his love of tennis. Legend has it that he was given the
news of Queen Anne Boleyn's execution while he was playing tennis on the court. The
game played on this court is slightly different from modern tennis, however - the
sport is called 'real tennis', and is played indoors.
3. The scoring system is based on the clock face
The origins of the 15, 30, 40 scoring system are lost in the records of time, but
the explanation most commonly given is that they were based on a clock face at one
end of the court. The first point was the first quarter mark that the minute hand
struck on the clock, i.e., 15, and the second point was the second quarter mark
struck.Because 45 took too long to say, the third point was shortened to 40.
4. Jimmy Connors has won the US Open on three different surfaces
Legendary tennis playerJimmy Connors holds the honour of being the only tennis
player to have won the prestigious US Open on three different surfaces -grass at
Forest Hills in 1974, clay at Forest Hills in 1976, and hard court in 1978 at
Flushing Meadows.
5. A Grand Slam final once finished in 34 minutes!
That's how dominant Steffi Graf was in her prime. In the 1988 French Open final,
Graf demolished Natasha Zvereva 6-0, 6-0 in a completely one-sided match that took
all of 34 minutes to complete! That is some beat-down.
6. A 13-year-old has competed at Wimbledon
In 1907, Austrian tennis playerMita Klima becamethe youngest player to have ever
played atWimbledon. She was 13 years old when she participated in the prestigious
tournament. Unfortunately, she lost in the first round.
7. The tennis ball only stays in play for 20 minutes in a standard
match
As most of us have seen,a proper competitive tennis match lasts for about 2hours on
an average, or even more.But did you know that the tennis ball remains in action
(i.e., in a state of movement) for only about 20 minutes in a standard 2.5 hours
match? The pros certainly spend a lot of time taking breaks in the middle of a
match!
8. Yellow tennis balls were used for the first time in 1986
Yellow tennis balls were introduced in 1972 by Mike Davies keeping in mind thatthey
were more visible on (colour) television. Those tennis balls were used in Wimbledon
for the first time in 1986. Before that, the balls used were usually white in
colour.
9. Tennis was originally played on an hour-glass shaped court
Originally, lawn tennis was played on an hour-glass shaped court with a net that was
4ft 8in high. A modern day net measures3.5ft at the posts and3ft in the middle.
Rectangular courts were introduced in 1875 by the All England Croquet Club at
Wimbledon when it decided to add tennis to its repertoire.
10. Maria Sharapova's grunt is louder than an aircraft