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Tennis Terms and Definitions
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Love
Tennis scoring term that represents zero or no score.
Alley
The area between the singles and doubles sidelines, which is considered in play during doubles matches.
Lob
A high arching shot that goes over the opponent's head and is intended to land near the baseline.
Serve
The shot that starts each point, hit from behind the baseline into the serve box diagonally opposite.
Double Hit
Illegal action when the ball is hit twice by the player's racket on a single swing.
Double Fault
When a player fails to get their serve into the correct service box twice in a row, thus losing the point.
Drop Shot
A lightly hit ball that barely goes over the net and is intended to land close to the net on the opponent's side.
Ace
A serve that is neither touched nor returned by the receiving player and wins the point.
Advantage
The point scored after a deuce, giving one player the lead and potential to win the game with the next point.
Backhand
A stroke that is hit with the back of the hand facing the ball, typically performed with one or both hands on the racket.
Crosscourt
A shot that is hit diagonally across the court from one side to the other.
Volley
A shot that is hit before the ball bounces, typically performed near the net.
Topspin
A type of spin where the top of the ball moves forward in the direction of the hit, causing it to dip and bounce higher.
Deuce
A score of 40-40 in a game, where a player must score two consecutive points to win the game.
Break Point
A situation where the receiving player has the opportunity to win the game by the next point.
Set Point
A situation where a player has the chance to win the set with the next point.
Slice
A shot with underspin that causes the ball to float and slow down when it bounces on the opponent's side.
Let
Called when the serve hits the net and then falls into the correct service box, resulting in a serve do-over.
Match Point
A situation where a player has the chance to win the entire match with the next point.
Overhead
A shot hit above a player's head with a serve-like motion, also known as a smash.
Challenge
When a player requests a review of the chair umpire’s decision using electronic aids like Hawk-Eye.
Tiebreak
A special game played to decide the winner of a set when the score reaches 6-6.
Unforced Error
A mistake in play, such as hitting a ball into the net or out of bounds, that is not due to the opponent's good play.
No-man's Land
The area of the court between the baseline and the service line which is a tactical disadvantage to occupy.
Groundstroke
A shot that is hit after the ball has bounced once on the court.
Forehand
A stroke in which the inner side of the palm leads the racket into the shot.
Baseline
The line at the end of the court representing the boundary of the length of the court.
Foot Fault
When the server steps on or over the baseline or the center mark before hitting the ball.
Rally
A series of back-and-forth shots that the players hit after the serve and before a point is scored.
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