Tennis is a game where the ball is hit back and forth between players on a tennis court, which is usually rectangular in shape.
A tennis match can be a singles match involving two players or a doubles match involving four players. Each player positions themselves at the opposite ends of the court and hits the ball back and forth with a stringed racquet.
The goal of every tennis match played is to score points in games, games to win sets, and sets to win the match.
Prior to the start of the game, the players are to spin the racquet, and whoever wins the spin has the option to decide who serves, the side of the tennis court they want, or if they want their opposing player to choose first.
Even though you might think that a tennis match is just about tossing balls back and forth between players, there are some distinct parts of a tennis match that play an important role in deciding the outcome of a tennis match. This is why we have to look into some of the parts of a tennis match, from the start of the game to the final part of it.
Part of a Tennis Match
1. Warm-up exercise
The first part of a tennis match is the warm-up exercise. It is important for tennis players to engage in this exercise so that they can perform at their best while playing the game. The goal of this warm-up exercise is to loosen up the muscles in the body, which will help players stay active during the game. It is the phase that gets the tennis players set for the game.
2. Coin Toss
A coin toss is also a preliminary part of a tennis match involving the tossing of the coin to determine the winner of the spin, who then decides who serves first or what part of the court he wants. If the tennis match is an official umpired match, the umpire will be in charge of tossing the coin. Then ask one of the players to choose between heads or tails. However, the coin toss is done by the players if it is a recreational game where umpires are not available.
However, people no longer move around with coins The alternative to a coin is now a racquet. The players spin the racquet, and the winner of the racquet spin is determined by the logo on the “butt cap.”
3. The Serve
The serve is a very critical part of a tennis match that can either determine the success or failure of the player. This is also the part of a tennis match that the player has control over. There are different types of serves that a player could use during a tennis match, such as flat, slice, and kick serves. There are certain things that can help a tennis player do a proper serve in a tennis match, and they include the following:
Stance: To serve properly during a tennis match, the player has to stand with his front foot facing the right net post and the back foot parallel to the baseline. This helps improve the stability of the player during the match.
The Grip: The grip has to do with how the player holds the racquet during a match. This has a significant effect on the service. There are different types of grips, but some of the most popular are the eastern forehand grip, the continental grip, and the semi-western grip. The player has to decide what grip is convenient and hold the racquet in his hand properly.
The Toss: A tennis player should make sure that the toss during the match is slightly in front of him and high enough but not directly above the head.
The Backswing: The player should move the racquet up and down behind him.
4. The Rally
The rally is another essential part of a tennis match. The rally starts after a serve. Rallying in a tennis match is when the players consistently hit the ball back and forth. The shots are continuously repeated by the players until either of them wins the point.
Players usually do this to instill pressure in their opponents, hoping that they make a mistake and get an opportunity to win a point.
5. Strategy and Tactics
The tennis match goes beyond just hitting the ball. Tennis is a game of smarts, and so only the smart ones can easily figure things out in a tennis match. A player may know how to play tennis well but might still end up losing the game if he does not know how to be strategic in the game.
A tennis player must have a plan, be able to figure out his personal strengths and improve upon them, and also discover the strengths and weaknesses of the opposing player and find ways to take advantage of the opponent’s weaknesses to win the game.
The ability to make tactical decisions to create patterns that can help win points is one of the attributes that a good tennis player must possess.
6. Breaking and Holding Serve
Breaking and holding serve is one part of a tennis match that also contributes to either the failure or the success of a tennis match. To break serve means that one wins a game when the opposing player serves, while to hold a serve means that one wins the game when it’s one’s turn to serve.
7. Set and Match Points
A tennis match is played in order for a winner to emerge at the end of that game. How is the scoring system done, and how is the winner determined? This is how the points are decided: four points are scored in a game, six games win a set, and two or three sets win a match.
8. The post-match ritual
This is the final part of the tennis match. This is sort of a sports ritual where the players embrace each other and shake hands with each other regardless of who wins the game, which is a sign of good sportsmanship.
Final note
Conversely, a tennis match is an interesting game. However, it requires skills and proper training for one to be able to perform well. It’s not enough to know how to hit a ball; this is why you will find many losing out in a tennis match easily because they have yet to master how to play this game. There are several rules attached to playing a tennis match as well. However, some of the parts of a tennis match that have been mentioned in this article will also guide you the next time you find yourself engaged in the game.
