JOHN J. JACKSON Rev: GREG PRETTY
Canadian Encyclopedia
01-01-2002
Tennis
Author: JOHN J. JACKSON Rev: GREG PRETTY
Tennis is a game played on a rectangular court (23.7 m long and 8.2 m wide for singles play, divided into equal halves by a net 0.914 m high at the centre and 1.07 m high at the posts) by 2 players (or 4 in doubles) whose objective is to hit a cloth-covered rubber ball with their racquets into their opponent's side of the court so that it cannot be returned. Top-class players demonstrate superb fitness and psychomotor skills; the action may be rapid and heated or fluidly graceful. Matches usually last one to 2 hours but often continue for longer; one Canadian ...