History of Malaysian Tennis

VSPT 2031 TENNIS III

1.0 History of Malaysian Tennis

Tennis has come a long way since the early years where it was played on

natural grass and clay courts.

Back when it began, the courts were temperamental beasts. The grass

courts had to be “rested” on alternate days and used only in the evenings.

Neither was playable the whole day when it rained.

Over the years, as more people began played tennis, these courts were

converted to hard courts. The prestigious Wimbledon and the French Open

tournaments, however, are still played on grass and clay.

Today, the many public courts opened for the public have contributed

greatly to Malaysians following in the footsteps of these great Malaysians in

taking up this sport.

Malaysian Juan Los Santos was ranked No.1 in the whole of Asia in the

year 2006. Others Malaysians who were or are presently ranked top 10 in

Asia are Nisha Thiruchelam, Adelle Boey, Syed Agil, Azri Marzuki, Ahmad

Deedat and Theivnya Selvarajoo.

The ECM Libra Foundation and LTAM Junior Tennis Team

Championships 2008 from December 15 to 20 at the National Tennis Centre

in Jalan Duta in Kuala Lumpur will bring together the best Under 13 players

in each state (a total of 42 boys and 42 girls) to compete over 5 days.

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2.0 International Tennis Federation (ITF)

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) is the governing body of world

tennis, made up of 205 national tennis associations.

It was established as the International Lawn Tennis Federation (ILTF) by

12 national associations meeting at a conference in Paris, France on 1 March

1913. In 1924 it became the officially recognized organization with authority

to control lawn tennis throughout the world, with official 'ILTF Rules of

Tennis'. In 1977 it dropped the word 'lawn' from its title, recognizing that

most tennis was no longer played on grass.

Originally based in Paris, its funds were moved to London, England

during World War II; from that time onwards the ILTF/ITF has been run from

London. Until 1987, the ITF was based at Wimbledon, it then moved to

Barons Court, near Queens Club, and then moved again in 1998 to the Bank

of England Sports Ground, Roehampton.

Its official annual is The ITF Year, describing the activities of the ITF

over last 12 months. This replaced World of Tennis.

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3.0 Tennis Rules

Rules for Tennis were first adopted on 1 January 1924. Making rules and

regulations for tennis lies with the International Tennis Federation and it was

accompanied by a Rules of Tennis Committee, which periodically monitors

rules and make necessary recommendations for any modification, if it is

needed. Suggested changes in rules can be on a permanent basis or for a

limited trial duration. The board of directors take recommendations and pass it

on to the general meeting of the International Tennis Federation for its

perusal. The rules are applied only after the members of the general meeting

arrive at a consensus.

Rules cover all aspects of tennis such as the size of the court, permanent

fixtures, specifications of tennis balls, rackets, as well as the scoring system.

There are rules that also manage the service methods, and the various kinds of

faults.

Rules also covers (in substance) to behavior of the tennis players on and

off the court. There are separate rules for a singles and doubles game. Rules

may also vary slightly from one tournament to another. There are various

rulebooks that give details of the numerous technicalities of the game to the

players, officials and the spectators. Aside from this, from the game, tennis

rules also include anti-doping laws to prevent players from taking banned

substances.

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4.0 Tennis Grips

The type of tennis grips you use will have a huge bearing on the types of

strokes you develop, and on your overall game. For instance, if you would

like to develop an aggressive serve and volley game, you should avoid using

the Western grip for the forehand. Likewise, avoid using a grip that limits

your serving and smashing ability. There's nothing surer to keep you away

from the net than a weak overhead.

Below are the different types of the major tennis grips:

Eastern

To find the Eastern forehand grip, simply "shake hands" with the racquet. To

change to the Eastern backhand grip, turn your hand approximately a quarter

circle counter-clockwise. (If you're left handed, the reverse applies.)

Continental

This grip is halfway between the Eastern forehand and backhand grip. This

grip is virtually obsolete as topspin is severely limited. Any spin that is

imparted is done so exclusively with the wrist, which significantly increases

the margin for error.

Semi-Western

This is the grip used by the majority of today's tour players. To find the semi-

Western forehand grip, lay your tennis racquet face down on the ground, and

then pick it up. You should be holding the grip about a quarter turn further

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clockwise than for the Eastern forehand grip. The semi-Western grip is ideal

for generating both tremendous power and topspin.

Western

The full Western is found by holding the grip of your racquet with your

knuckles pointing towards the ground. Although used by some players,

particularly clay-courters, it isn't a hugely popular grip because of the

limitations it imposes on certain shots.

For example, short, low balls are extremely difficult to counter, as are any

shots that are hit with real pace, particulary flat or sliced balls on faster courts.

Forehand returns-of-serve also pose a huge problem.

Service

For the service grip, the two most commonly used tennis grips are the Eastern

forehand grip and the Continental grip (and anywhere in between). While

many great champions have possessed great serves with various grips, the vast

majority of great servers have tended far more towards the Eastern forehand

grip.

Volley

The grip most preferred by great volleyers is, like the serve, the Eastern

forehand "shake hands" grip. It's extremely practical to use this grip as it

doesn't require a grip change from forehand to backhand volley, and, in many

cases, from the serve or to the smash.

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5.0 How to Play Tennis

Learning how to play tennis can be fun for certain types of people. It does

require a certain amount of agility, cardiovascular fitness, and good vision

(being cross eyed would not make it easy to play tennis). Below will share a

few tennis tips and some other instructional points for beginners.

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Forehand Stroke

The forehand stroke is usually the most powerful and the stroke most users

want to use. Of course it has to be on the right side of the person to get the

forehand stroke.

The forehand in tennis is a shot made by swinging the racquet across one's

body in the direction of where the player wants to place the shot. For a right-

handed player, the forehand is a stroke that begins on the right side of his

body, continues across his body as contact is made with the ball, and ends on

the left side of his body. It is considered the easiest shot to master, perhaps

because it is the most natural stroke. Beginners and advanced players often

have better forehands than any other shots and use it as a weapon.

The way I learned was to:

Break Up (Release two handed grip)

Come Around (Begin to come around in a circular form)

Contact (Make contact with the ball)

Follow Through (Follow through over your shoulder)

Finish Up (Just finish the stroke)

Back to the ready position (Back in the two handed grip)

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Backhand Stroke

The backhand stroke is when the ball is on the opposite side of you. It is the

opposite of the forehand. There are two types of back hands. There is the

two-handed back hand, which is the first picture below. There is also the one

handed back hand which are primarily the same thing, except you are using

different amounts of hands.

The backhand in tennis is a stroke hit by swinging the racquet away from

one's body in the direction of where the player wants the ball to go. For a

right-handed player, a backhand begins on the left side of his body, continues

across his body as contact is made with the ball, and ends on the right side of

his body. It can be either a one-handed or a two-handed stroke.

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The backhand is generally considered more difficult to master than the

forehand. Because the dominant hand "pulls" into the shot, instead of pushing,

the backhand generally lacks the power and consistency of a forehand.

Beginner and club-level players often have difficulty hitting a backhand and

junior players often have trouble because they are not strong enough to hit it.

Even many advanced players have a significantly better forehand than

backhand, and there are many strategies based on exploiting this weakness.

Volleys

Net play is an important aspect to playing tennis. At the net, the player will

primarily use a volley to hit the ball. The volley is when the ball does not hit

the ground before you hit it. It is out of the air pretty much. You want to get

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yourself about 3 feet away from the net. Make sure you keep your feet

shoulder width apart. Hold your racket in your continental grip. Keep the

racket in front of you, with the head pointing up. The bottom of the handle

should be even with your belly button. Lightly hold the top portion of the

racket handle with the fingers of your non-dominant hand. Bend your knees

slightly. You should be able to feel some strain on your quadriceps muscles

(in your thighs).

Step toward the ball with your left foot (or your right foot if you're left-

handed) as the ball is hit toward you above waist level. Turn your shoulders

slightly to the right (or left) until you bring the racket back to a point even

with your right (or left) shoulder. This motion should be smooth.

Drive the racket forward to meet the ball - use a quick "punching" motion.

The head should be vertical and the ball should strike the face evenly. Make

contact as the ball is about even with your right (or left) shoulder.

Turn your racket hand slightly so that the palm faces the ball upon contact.

This turns the racket face so that the ball hits squarely off the strings.

Follow through slightly with your swing. The follow-through for the

volley is shorter than that for the regular forehand ground stroke; the racket

should not cross the front of your body.

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The Serve

The serve in tennis is a shot to start a point. The serve is usually initiated by

tossing the ball into the air and hitting it (usually near the apex of its

trajectory) into the diagonally opposite service box without touching the net.

It may be performed underhand or overhead. The serve is the only shot where

a player can take his time to set up, instead of having to react to an opponent's

shot. The serve is one of the more difficult shots for a novice, but once

mastered it can be a considerable advantage. Advanced players can hit the

serve in many different ways and often use it as an offensive weapon to gain

an advantage in the point or to win it outright. Because of this, professional

players win most of their service games, and the breaking serve plays a crucial

role in a match. If you miss their opposite service box, then you get another

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chance, and that is considered a fault. Doing this twice is called a double fault,

and you lose the point.

6.0 Selecting the Racquet

Category 1: Power or Game Improvement Racquets

This is the term used by racquet manufacturers for power-oriented racquets. In

most cases, these racquet models feature oversize to super-oversize heads

(107-135 square inches), are lightweight (8-9.5 ounces), longer (27-29 inches)

stiffer and are balanced head-heavy (or evenly balanced) to retain enough

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weight in the hitting zone. Designed for players with shorter, slower swings

and who want more power from the racquet.

Category 2: ‘Tweener Racquets

There are several models that offer a blend of features from game

improvement and player’s racquets. They are often light-er (9.5-11 ounces),

balanced anywhere from slightly head-light to slightly head-heavy, have

midplus (95-102 square inches) heads and are usually extended length (27.5-

28 inches). These racquet models offer low-medium to medium-high power

and are most appealing to intermediate-advanced players, seeking enhanced

maneuverability.

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Category 3: Control or Player’s Racquets

Denotes racquets that would be used by professional and high-level club and

college team players. These models are typically heavier in weight (11.5-13+

ounces), have smaller heads (85-98), thinner, more flexible beams and are

balanced head light to retain maneuverability. The result is a low-power

racquet, designed for players who provide their own power and prefer a

racquet that offers more control. Can be standard or extended length.

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When making a racquet choice, you’ll need to consider the following features:

Head Size

Power is directly related to head size - a larger head will provide more power

than a smaller head, all other things being equal. A larger head also offers a

larger hitting area and sweetspot, providing more forgiveness on off-center

hits. Today’s racquets are offered in head sizes ranging from 85 to 135 square

inches, with the most common being 95-110. These head sizes offer a

compromise between power and control for many players. Generally

speaking, a smaller racquet head appeals to more accomplished players

seeking more control, while larger racquets appeal to beginning and

intermediate players seeking more power and a larger sweetspot.

Length

Racquets are available in lengths ranging from 27-29 inches, the legal limit for

tournament play. Standard racquets are 27 inches long. A longer racquet

provides more reach on groundstrokes, added leverage on serves and slightly

more power overall than standard length racquets, all other things being equal.

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For most players, switching from a standard length racquet to one that is 1/2 -

1 inch longer doesn’t normally present much of a problem. Most (but not all)

longer racquets are lighter than their standard-length counterparts to keep

them maneuverable. As racquet length increases, so does dynamic

swingweight. Simply lengthening a 27 inch racquet without reducing weight

would result in a very unwieldy “club”.

String Pattern

Often overlooked by many recreational players, string pattern density

influences many aspects of a racquet’s overall performance and feel. When we

discuss string pattern density, we refer to open and dense (or closed).

An open string pattern will deflect more on impact than a denser pattern,

providing greater ball rebound. Strung at the same tension (in similar

racquets) an open string pattern won’t feel as “tight” as a dense string pattern.

Open string patterns also allow for more spin potential, as the ball can embed

itself into the strings more, due to their wider spacing. Players seeking more

spin will benefit from a more open string pattern. The price one may pay for

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this, though, is reduced string durability. Open string patterns allow the strings

to move more freely, increasing abrasion which causes string breakage.

7.0 Types of Tennis Courts

There are four main types of courts depending on the materials used for the

court surface: clay courts, hard courts, grass courts and carpet courts. Each

playing surface has its own characteristics which affect the playing style of the

game. The ITF (International Tennis Federation) lists different surfaces and

properties on its website and awards five pace settings from category 5 (fast)

to category 1 (slow).

Clay courts

Clay courts are made of crushed shale, stone, or brick. The French Open uses

clay courts, unlike the other three Grand Slam tournaments of each year.

Clay courts slow down the ball and produce a high bounce when compared

to grass courts or hard courts. This is because clay courts have more grab and

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when the ball lands there is more friction pushing against the ball's horizontal

path, therefore slowing it and creating a higher bounce. For this reason, the

clay court takes away some advantage of big serves, which makes it hard for

serve-based players to dominate on the surface. Clay courts are cheaper to

construct than other types of tennis courts, but the maintenance costs of a clay

surface are higher than those of hard courts. Clay courts need to be rolled to

preserve flatness. The clay's water content must be balanced; green courts

generally require the courts to be sloped to allow water run-off.

Clay courts are more common in Europe and Latin America than in North

America and tend to heavily favor baseline players.

Grass courts

Grass courts are the fastest type of courts in common use (AstroTurf is faster

but is primarily used only for personal courts). They consist of grass grown on

very hard-packed soil, which adds an additional variable: bounces depend on

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how healthy the grass is, how recently it has been mown, and the wear and

tear of recent play. Points are usually very quick where fast, low bounces keep

rallies short, and the serve plays a more important role than on other surfaces.

Grass courts tend to favour serve-and-volley tennis players, such as John

McEnroe and Stefan Edberg among men and Martina Navratilova and Jana

Novotná among women. The International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport,

R.I., comprises grass courts. The surface is less firm and more slippery than

hard courts, causing the ball to slide and bounce lower, and so players must

reach the ball faster. Serve-and-volley players take advantage of the surface by

serving the ball (usually a slice serve because of its effectiveness on grass) and

then running to the net to cut off the return of serve, leaving their opponent

with little time to reach the low-bouncing, fast-moving ball. Players often hit

flatter shots to increase power and allow the ball to travel faster before and

after the ball hits the ground.

Hard courts

Hard courts are very fast types of tennis courts, where hard-hitting players

have a slight advantage. Hard courts can vary in speed; they are faster than

clay but not as fast as grass courts. The quantity of sand added to the paint can

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greatly affect the rate at which the ball slows down. These courts are

considered the most equal for all playing styles. The US Open is played on an

acrylic hard court, while the Australian Open is played on a synthetic hard

court. The main difference between a synthetic hard court and a true hard

court surface is the level of hardness. When the ball bounces on this surface it

is faster than all other surfaces if there is not much sand in the top paint. The

amount of sand used in the top paint and the size of the sand also determines

the speed – more sand means less speed and larger sand particles will slow the

speed of play. The amount of friction can also be altered and more friction

will produce a clay court effect, where topspin is magnified. The extra grip

and friction will resist the sliding effect of the ball and the resistance will force

the ball to change its rotation. The extra grip provided by the surface can resist

the movement of the player and can cause injury.

Carpet courts

Carpet is a tennis term for any removable court covering. A short form of

artificial turf weighted with sand is common in Asia. Indoor arenas store rolls

of rubber-backed court surfacing and install it temporarily for tennis events,

however they are not in use any more for professional events.

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Indoor courts

Hard courts are most common indoors. Slower, higher bouncing rubberized

surfaces are used for a cushioned feel. Clay courts are installed indoors with

underground watering systems. Barnstorming professionals played on canvas

laid over wooden basketball courts up to the 1960s. For information about the

original indoor tennis and tennis courts see real tennis and history of tennis.

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8.0 Top 5 Male and Female Famous Tennis Players Known for Their

Skills and Achievements

Famous Male Tennis Players

Djokovic

Djokovic is a Serbian player with a great balance of power, speed, and great

timing. The Djokovic racquet has a very fast swing speed, which helps him to

generate tremendous pace and spin. He displays unequaled flexibility on court

that allows him to really find positions and stretch to make great shots.

Everything about his game is solid–all the way down to his Adidas Barricade

6 shoes. He can produce consistently clean and error free matches while

aggressively dominating his opponents. These abilities have led to great

success on the tour even in his young career.

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Rafael Nadal

The Spaniard Nadal is known for his quick movement and massive top spin

forehand. Nadal has improved his game on other tennis surfaces over the

years, but he remains the absolute master of the clay court game. The topspin

generated by the Nadal racquet has been the talk of the tennis world over the

past few years. His topspin allows him to control the point and relentlessly

drag other players around the court

Roger Federer

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Federer is possibly the greatest player ever to play the game of tennis, but

certainly he is the one with the most elegant shots. The Swiss maestro never

fails to make tennis look effortless. His shots are struck so cleanly that once

you see him play, you can’t help but want to switch to a one handed backhand.

Not only are his shots quiet and clean, but his movement is magnificent. The

Roger Federer shoes seem to glide over the court with incredible speed. His

remarkable positioning and footwork is one of the keys to his amazing shot

making. Federer is truly one of the most famous tennis stars and will leave a

legacy like none other in the record books.

Andy Murray

Murray is the definition of a baseline grinder. He doesn’t have a spectacular

shot, but he can step into both his backhand or forehand and crush them

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equally well from the back court. His speed and love for the baseline propels

him to achieve long and hard fought victories. Murray carries the hope of

Britain as the highest ranked and most famous of the British tennis players.

David Ferrer

Ferrer gets a bit of a bad rap. He hasn’t broken through for a big title, but he

is an incredible competitor. He’s actually quite similar to Nadal, without the

huge lefty topspin to throw off his opponents. The way he competes out on

the court makes you feel like he’s actually working ten times harder than his

opponent. In a lot of cases he is.

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Famous Female Tennis Players

Caroline Wozniacki

Wozniacki is a strong and consistent baseline player. She minimizes her errors

and hits with plenty of margin on her shots. She gets great depth and can wear

her opponents down in tough matches. Wozniacki still hasn’t had success at

the majors, but she is consistently good throughout the year. She has shown

flashes of brilliance, but tends to play too conservatively in big situations.

Players in the top 10 prey on this kind of weakness and have made her pay for

it in big matches. If she can overcome this problem it’s likely she will be one

of the greats.

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Maria Sharapova

Sharapova found success early in her career with her big forehand and

penetrating ground strokes. She became one of the most famous tennis

women in the sport overnight. Her serve used to be more of a weapon, but

since her shoulder surgery she hasn’t quite been the same in that department.

She has still come back fabulously though, climbing back to the number two

spot and making deep runs everywhere.

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Vera Zvonareva

Zvonareva hung around the tour for a while before having her breakthrough

success. She hits strong and consistent shots from the baseline, but can really

be a big hitter at times. Her mental breakdowns on the court seem to be mostly

behind her, which has helped her see continued success at the top.

Serena Williams

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Both of the Williams sisters have made huge impacts on the women’s tennis

game, but injury and illness has often sidelined them in the past few years.

Despite being both under ranked and under represented at most events, they

have still managed to hog a large number of the major titles. Serena brings a

fierce competitive attitude to the court, often rolling over even the best players

in easy straight set wins. She has a wicked combination of one of the best

serves and returns in women’s tennis. Often, unless her opponent is playing

exceptionally well, her matches can be over in a hurry.

Li Na

Li Na (Chinese: 李娜 ; born February 26, 1982) is a Chinese professional

tennis player. Li has won 5 WTA and 19 ITF singles titles. Li won the 2011

French Open singles title, making her the first Asian country representative to

win a Grand Slam in singles. With her performance at the 2011 Australian

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Open, she became the first player from an Asian country to appear in a Grand

Slam singles final.

Between 1999 and 2004, Li won 20 women's singles titles: 19 ITF events

and one—the first ever won by a Chinese woman—on the WTA Tour. In

January 2008, she won her second WTA Tour title after a drought of over

three and a quarter years.

Li also frequently enters doubles tournaments at events alongside singles,

and has won two WTA doubles titles and 16 further ITF doubles events. Her

early success in doubles came mostly with Li Ting (unrelated); but more

recently she has made a habit of forming temporary women's doubles

partnerships with players with whom she has previously enjoyed a healthy

rivalry through repeated head-to-head meetings in singles tournaments,

notably Liu Nan-Nan, Nicole Pratt, Yan Zi, Jelena Janković, and Peng Shuai.

Her career has been plagued by injuries and other troubles that have

prevented her from playing for lengthy periods. She suffered a two-year hiatus

from competition in her early 20s, lost several months at the height of the

2005 season to an ankle injury, and lost the second half of 2007 to a rib injury.

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History of Malaysian Tennis