| Tennis has a long history (deriving from
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| | standardize the rules and organize
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| the 'jeu de paume'), but its
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| | competitions. The comprehensive I.L.T.F.
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| establishment as the modern sport can be
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| | rules promulgated in 1924 have remained
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| dated to two separate roots. In 1859
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| | remarkably stable in the ensuing eighty
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| Major Thomas Henry Gem, a solicitor, and
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| | years, the one major change being the
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| his friend Batista Pereira, a Spanish
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| | addition of the tie-breaker system
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| merchant, who both lived in Birmingham,
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| | designed by James van Alen. U.S. National
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| England played a game they named
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| | Men's Singles Championship, now the U.S.
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| "pelota", after a Spanish ball game. The
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| | Open, was first held in 1881 at Newport,
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| game was played on a lawn in Edgbaston.
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| | Rhode Island. The U.S. National Women's
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| In 1872 both men moved to Leamington Spa,
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| | Singles Championships were first held in
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| and with two doctors from the Warneford
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| | 1887. The Davis Cup, an annual
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| Hospital, played pelota on the lawn
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| | competition between national teams, dates
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| behind the Manor House Hotel (now
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| | to 1900.
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| residential apartments). Pereira joined
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| | Tennis was for many years predominantly a
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| with Dr. Frederick Haynes and Dr. A.
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| | sport of the English-speaking world,
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| Wellesley Tomkins to found the first lawn
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| | dominated by the United States, Britain
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| tennis club in the world, and played the
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| | and Australia. It was also popular in
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| game on nearby lawns. In 1874 they formed
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| | France, where the French Open dates to
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| the Leamington Tennis Club, setting out
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| | 1891. Thus Wimbledon, the U.S. Open, the
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| the original rules of the game. The
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| | French Open and the Australian Open
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| Courier of 23 July 1884 recorded one of
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| | (dating to 1905) became and have remained
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| the first tennis tournaments, held in the
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| | the most prestigious events in tennis.
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| grounds of Shrubland Hall (demolished
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| | Together these four events are called the
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| 1948).
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| | Grand Slam (a term borrowed from bridge).
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| In December 1873, Major Walter Clopton
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| | Winning the Grand Slam, by capturing
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| Wingfield devised a similar game for the
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| | these four titles in one calendar year,
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| amusement of his guests at a garden party
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| | is the highest ambition of most tennis
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| on his estate at Nantclwyd, Wales. He
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| | players.
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| based the game on the older sport of
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| | In 1926 promoter C.C. ("Cash and Carry")
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| indoor tennis or real tennis ("royal
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| | Pyle established the first professional
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| tennis"), which had been invented in 12th
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| | tennis tour with a group of American and
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| century France and was played by French
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| | French tennis players playing exhibition
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| aristocrats down to the time of the
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| | matches to paying audiences. The most
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| French Revolution.
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| | notable of these early professionals were
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| According to most tennis historians,
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| | the American Vinnie Richards and the
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| modern tennis terminology also derives
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| | Frenchwoman Suzanne Lenglen. For 42 years
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| from this period, as Wingfield borrowed
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| | professional and amateur tennis remained
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| both the name and much of the French
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| | strictly separate. Once a player turned
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| vocabulary of royal tennis and applied
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| | pro he or she could not compete in the
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| them to his new game:
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| | major (amateur) tournaments. In 1968,
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| Tennis comes from the French tenez, the
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| | commercial pressures led to the
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| imperative form of the verb tenir, to
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| | abandonment of this distinction,
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| hold: This was a cry used by the player
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| | inaugurating the Open era, in which all
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| serving in royal tennis, meaning "I am
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| | players could compete in all tournaments,
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| about to serve!" (rather like the cry
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| | and top players were able to make their
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| "Fore!" in golf).
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| | living from tennis.
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| Racquet comes from raquette, which
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| | With the beginning of the Open era, the
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| derives from the Arabic rakhat, meaning
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| | establishment of an international
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| the palm of the hand.
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| | professional tennis circuit, and revenues
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| Deuce comes from à deux le jeu, meaning
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| | from the sale of television rights,
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| "to both is the game" (that is, the two
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| | tennis has spread all over the world and
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| players have equal scores).
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| | has lost its upper-class English-speaking
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| Love may come from l'oeuf, the egg, a
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| | image. Since the 1970s great champions
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| reference to the egg-shaped zero symbol;
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| | have emerged from Germany (Boris Becker,
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| however, since "un oeuf" is more commonly
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| | Steffi Graf), the former Czechoslovakia
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| used, the etymology remains in question.
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| | (Ivan Lendl, Martina Navratilova, and
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| The convention of numbering scores "15,"
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| | Hana Mandlikova), Sweden (Björn Borg,
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| "30" and "40" comes from quinze, trente
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| | Stefan Edberg and Mats Wilander), Brazil
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| and quarante, which to French ears makes
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| | (Gustavo Kuerten), Russia (Yevgeny
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| a euphonious sequence.
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| | Kafelnikov and Marat Safin), Belgium (Kim
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| Seeing the commercial potential of the
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| | Clijsters and Justine Henin-Hardenne),
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| game, Wingfield patented it in 1874, but
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| | Switzerland (Martina Hingis and Roger
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| never succeeded in enforcing his patent.
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| | Federer) and from many other countries.
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| Tennis spread rapidly among the leisured
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| | In 1954 James Van Alen founded the
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| classes in Britain and the United States.
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| | International Tennis Hall of Fame, a
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| It was first played in the U.S. at the
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| | non-profit museum in Newport, Rhode
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| home of Mary Ewing Outerbridge on Staten
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| | Island. The building contains a large
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| Island, New York in 1874.
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| | collection of tennis memorabilia as well
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| In 1881 the desire to play tennis
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| | as a hall of fame honoring prominent
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| competitively led to the establishment of
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| | members and tennis players from all over
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| tennis clubs. The first championships at
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| | the world. Each year, a grass-court
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| Wimbledon, in London were played in 1877.
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| | tournament is hosted on the grounds that
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| In 1881 the United States National Lawn
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| | are home to the Tennis Hall of Fame, as
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| Tennis Association (now the United States
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| | well as an induction ceremony honoring
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| Tennis Association) was formed to
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| | new Hall of Fame members.
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