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About This Quiz
The rules of tennis have changed little since the 1890s. Take this quiz and test your knowledge to see if you have what it takes to be the match winner!
Tennis is a ______ sport.
volleyball
water
racket
Tennis is a racket sport. Racket sports are games in which players use rackets to hit a ball or other object. Players need one racket each and multiple tennis balls to play the sport.
team
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The object of the game is to __________.
play the ball low.
play the ball in such a way that the opponent is not able to play a valid return.
The object of the game is to strategically play the ball in such a way that the opponent cannot return the ball. The player who is unable to return the ball will not gain a point, while the opposite player will. The object is to outplay your opponent.
play the ball hard.
play the ball high.
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The modern game of tennis originated where?
Edinburgh, Scotland
Birmingham, England
Tennis originated in England. Between 1859 and 1865, Harry Gem and his friend Augurio Perera developed a game that combined elements of racquets and the Basque ball game pelota, which they played on Perera's croquet lawn.
Dublin, Ireland
Boston, USA
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The first tennis club was located where?
Leamington Spa
The first tennis club was founded in Leamington Spa in the Warwickshire region of England, by Harry Gem and Augurio Perera. The town is named for the River Leam.
London
Yorkshire
Manchester
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For the first 100 years of the modern game, rackets were made of what?
Wire rackets with horse hair strings
Wood rackets with horse hair strings
Wood rackets with animal gut strings
For the first 100 years of the modern game, rackets were made of wood and strings were made of animal gut. Wood yielded more strength in rackets used through most of the 20th century, until first metal and then composites of carbon graphite, ceramics, and lighter metals such as titanium were introduced. In modern times, strings have been made of synthetic material.
Metal rackets with horse hair strings
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Tennis is played on a court in what shape?
rectangular
Tennis is played on a rectangular, flat surface. The court is 78 feet (23.77 m) long and 27 feet (8.2 m) wide for singles matches, or 36 ft (11 m) for doubles matches.
circular
square
triangular
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Who designed the modern tennis court?
Abner Doubleday
James Naismith
Charles Goodyear
Major Walter Clopton Wingfield
Major Walter Clopton Wingfield was a Welsh inventor and British army officer. He crafted a template in 1875 for the court design that exists today.
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Tennis is played on what sort of surface?
variety of surfaces
Tennis is played on a variety of surfaces. Grass, clay, and hardcourts of concrete or asphalt topped with acrylic are the most common. Occasionally carpet is used for indoor play, with hardwood flooring having been historically used. Artificial turf courts can also be found.
grass
astroturf
cement
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The lines that indicate the boundaries of the court for a doubles match are called what?
baselines and service box
yard lines and service lines
service lines and baselines
the baselines and the doubles sidelines
The baselines are parallel to the net, marking the two ends of the court. The short mark in the center of each baseline is referred to as either the hash mark or the center mark. The doubles sidelines mark the widest side boundaries, used in doubles tennis. Singles sidelines create narrower side boundaries, for singles matches.
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In tennis, what is a game?
a doubles match
a sequence of points played with one player
a contest with the same player or side serving
A game is a contest in which one player or side always serves. A game is won by the first player or side to have won at least four points in total, with at least two points more than the opponent.
a series of points double the length of a regular game
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In tennis, what is the term for zero or no score?
"love"
Although tennis historians aren't sure exactly how the term "love" came to mean zero in tennis, the most plausible assumption seems to be that it's based on the French word "l'oeuf." Court tennis, an ancestor of most of today's racket games, originated in 14th century France.
"match"
"game"
"fireside"
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The score of a tennis game during play is always announced with whose score read first?
the receiving player
the serving player
The score of a tennis game during play is always read with the serving player's score first. In tournament play, the chair umpire calls the point count (e.g., "fifteen-love") after each point. At the end of a game, the chair umpire also announces the winner of the game and the overall score.
the reserve player
the retriever
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What is the term for a series of games, played with service alternating between games, ending when one player wins a certain number of games?
set
Typically, a player wins a set by winning at least six games and at least two games more than the opponent. If one player has won six games and the opponent five, an additional game is played. If the leading player wins that game, the player wins the set 7–5. If the trailing player wins the game, a tie-break is played.
game
match
pair
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What is made up of a series of sets?
game
set
match
A match consists of a series of sets. The outcome is determined through a best of three or five sets system. Recreational players may agree to play any number of sets, depending upon time availability or stamina.
pitch
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In tournament play, who announces the end of the match with the well-known phrase "Game, set, match," followed by the winning person's or team's name?
the chair umpire
The chair umpire is the final authority on all questions of fact during the match. Questions of fact include whether a ball was in, the calling of a service let, or the calling of a foot-fault.
the scorekeeper
the coach
a fan
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What occurs in tennis whenever the player in the lead needs only one more point to win the game?
a love point
silly point
match point
game point
A game point occurs in tennis whenever the player who is in the lead in the game needs only one more point to win the game. The terminology is extended to sets (set point), matches (match point), and even championships (championship point).
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A break point occurs when which player has a chance to win the game with the next point?
the receiver
A break point occurs if the receiver, not the server, has a chance to win the game with the next point. Break points are of particular importance because serving is generally considered advantageous, with servers being expected to win games in which they are serving.
the server
the returning champion
the umpire
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A tennis match is intended to be played how?
4 periods, with 10-minute breaks
2 halves with a 30-minute break
continuously
A tennis match is intended to be continuous. As stamina is a relevant factor, arbitrary delays are not permitted. In most cases, service is required to occur no more than 20 seconds after the end of the previous point earned.
three 30-minute sets
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Should a player be determined to be stalling repeatedly, the chair umpire may initially give a warning, followed by what subsequent penalties?
removing the player from the game
"point", "game", and default of the match for the player who is consistently taking longer than the allowed time limit
During the tournament, the chief umpire assigns umpires to courts, subject to overrule by the referee. Should a player be determined to be stalling repeatedly, the chair umpire may initially give a warning, followed by subsequent penalties of "point," "game," and default of the match for the player who is consistently taking longer than the allowed time limit.
removing ten points from the players score
removing 5 points from the players score
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A competent tennis player has how many basic shots in his or her repertoire?
eight
A tennis serve is a weapon only when the technique is correct. When the serve technique is not correct, then the serve is often more a liability than an asset. Shots available: the serve, forehand, backhand, volley, half-volley, overhead smash, drop shot, and lob.
nine
twelve
ten
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In tennis, what is a serve, or, more formally, a "service"?
tossing the ball into the air and hitting it, to begin play
A serve is a shot to start a point. The serve is initiated by tossing the ball into the air and hitting it into the diagonally opposite service box without touching the net. The serve may be hit under- or overhand, although underhand serving remains a rarity.
how to win the game
gathering up loose balls
sacrificing a point due to a penalty
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How many "Grand Slam" tournaments are held each year?
Four
There are four Grand Slam tournaments held annually. They are considered to be the most prestigious tennis events in the world. They are, in chronological order, the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open.
Six
Seven
Nine
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What is the name of the oldest Grand Slam tournament held?
Canada Open
Austrailan Open
Wimbledon
Wimbledon is the oldest Grand Slam tournament. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London, since 1877. Wimbledon is the only major still played on grass.
US Open
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Who was the winner of the inaugural Wimbledon Championship?
Harriet Spencer
Joey McCarthy
Parker Jones
Spencer Gore
The inaugural 1877 Wimbledon Championship opened on July 9, 1877. The Gentlemen's Singles was the only event held; it was won by Spencer Gore. He was an old Harrovian rackets player, from a field of 22.
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How many events are now held at the modern Wimbledon Championship?
five events total
25 events total
five main events, five junior events, and five invitational events
There are 15 events held at the annual Wimbledon Championship. The main events are as follows: Gentlemen's Singles (128), Ladies' Singles (128), Gentlemen's Doubles (64), Ladies' Doubles (64), Mixed Doubles (48). Both the men's and ladies' singles consist of 128 players.
10 events total
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Which tennis player said: "Tennis is mostly mental. Of course, you must have a lot of physical skill, but you can't play tennis well and not be a good thinker. You win or lose the match before you even go out there"?
Serena Williams
Venus Williams
Venus Williams is the author of the quote. She is an American tennis player. She was ranked World No. 6 in singles as of July 25, 2016.
Roger Federer
Andy Murray
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Who was the top male tennis player in 2015?
Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic is a Serbian tennis player. He was the top male player in 2015. His total prize money in 2015 was $16,760,145!
Andy Murray
Roger Federer
Milos Raonic
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Who was the top female tennis player in 2015?
Angelique Kerber
Angelique Kerber is a German tennis player. She was ranked the top female player in the world in 2015. Her total prize money in 2015 was $10,136,615!
Venus Williams
Serena Williams
Simona Halep
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What is the total prize money up for grabs at the 2016 US Open championship?
US $26,000,000
US $32,000,000
US $42,000,000
US $46,300,000
The US Open prize money for 2016 is US $46,300,000. It is split into singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. The US Open has made a five-year agreement to increase the total prize money to about $50,000,000 by 2017.
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Which female tennis player has won at least five singles titles at Grand Slam tournaments?
Alice MacNeil
Scott Albert
Serena Williams
Serena Williams is an American tennis player. She has been ranked #1 in the world on at least 6 occasions. She became the world #1 for the first time on July 8, 2002, and achieved this ranking for the sixth time on February 18, 2013.
Norman McHardy
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Which male tennis player has won at least five singles titles at Grand Slam tournaments?
Andy MacNeil
Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal is a Spanish tennis player. He has won a total of 14 grand slam singles titles. He is widely known as the greatest clay-court player in history.
Alexander McDonald
Hardy Davidson
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Which tennis star was badly injured in a home invasion attack in December 2016?
Serena Williams
Petra Kvitová
Petra Kvitová is from the Czech Republic. She was injured when an attacker invaded her home in December 2016. She escaped with deep cuts to her left hand, including torn ligaments,
Venus Williams
Monica Seles
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Which tennis star became the first Canadian-born player representing Canada to reach the finals of a Grand Slam in the singles event at the 2014 Wimbledon Championships?
Daniel Nestor
Eugenie Bouchard
Eugenie Bouchard was the first Canadian-born tennis star to represent Canada and compete in the finals. She finished runner-up to Petra Kvitová. She is currently ranked 46th in the world standings.
Milos Raonic
Philip Bester
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Which tennis star was quoted as saying: "I've been playing against older and stronger competition my whole life. It has made me a better tennis player and able to play against this kind of level despite their strength and experience"?
Serena Williams
Maria Sharapova
Maria Sharapova is a Russian tennis player. She has won 5 Grand Slam single titles. She has been ranked world No. 1 in singles by the WTA on five separate occasions.
Venus Williams
Andy Roddick
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Which tennis star became the first British male Wimbledon champion in 77 years in 2012?
Andy Murray
Andy Murray is a British tennis player. He was born in Scotland but resides in England. At the 2012 US Open, Murray became the first British player since 1977, and the first British man since 1936, to win a Grand Slam singles tournament,
Roger Federer
Andy Patrick
Graham Stewart
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You Got:
/35
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