Tennis. Construction of tennis courts with ContinentalClay coating (soil, tennisite) What is the name of the tennis court coating 4 letters

They initially built grass cats, but due to the hot Mediterranean climate the lawns deteriorated much faster than in the UK, so the Renshaws decided to modify them. Nearby there was a pottery center - Vallori (local clay deposits were used by the Gauls and Romans). William and Ernest began to sprinkle dust on their courts, a by-product of ceramic production. Gradually, such courts began to gain popularity.

In 1909, the British company EN TOUT CAS was the first to make the top (surface) layer from a mixture of clay and tile chips in the construction of clay courts. Tile chips significantly improved the passage of water through the surface. The company gave its innovation the name “Fast-Dry Court”.

In 1927, Charles Bouhama proposed the use of a limestone underlayment to improve overall drainage and improve anchorage and softening of the overlay. The courts at Roland Garros were built using this technology in 1928.

The left photo shows the laying of layers of soil covering the Roland Garros courts (fine gravel can be used instead of slag).

The thicker the coating layer, the finer its fraction and the more moist it is, the slower the ball’s rebound. This feature is often used by the host team at the Davis Cup and Fed Cup when their team is weaker than the opponent, because slow coverage does not make it possible to win balls with one or two strong attacking shots.

Unlike artificial surfaces (except artificial ground), the ground allows the player to slide over the surface when braking (Slip Resistance) - the player seems to drive up to the ball, preparing to hit.

Currently, clay courts come in red and green colors. The most common is red soil ( Clay Court or Continental Clay), which we usually call “tennisitis”.

"Tennisit" has the ability to quickly pass through excess water(in case of rain) and at the same time maintain the necessary humidity for up to 2-2.5 hours. The composition of "tennisite" includes crushed (powdered) red clay, brick (tile) chips, slaked lime and special additives. To make crumbs, semi-dry pressing bricks should be used, the distinctive feature of which is the absence of sharp solid particles (the main difference between semi-dry pressing and plastic pressing is that the raw materials are dried before firing, then crushed into powder followed by pressing under higher pressure).

It is “tennis” that is used at Roland Garros (the unofficial World Championship on clay courts). Despite the fact that the covering layer is quite thin, about 850 kg of tennisite are used every year to fill each court of the Roland Garros tennis stadium.

Courts covered with "tennis" are most popular in post-Soviet countries, Spain, Italy, Portugal, and France. There is a court surface - drainage, where there is no clay, among other components. This type of court surface prevails mainly in Sweden and Germany. In Mexico, sifted crushed volcanic rock is used as crumbs ( Tepetate), and in Crimea, due to its cheapness, pink marble sand.

The main feature of such courts is a soft surface and a slow rebound of the ball. It allows, unlike other coatings, to reduce the load on the joints and ligaments of the legs. The slow rebound speed of the ball characteristic of clay (Surface Pace tests) makes it possible to better control the ball when preparing to hit and keep it in play longer. By saturating clay courts with water to varying degrees, you can control the speed of the ball's bounce.

According to experts, the temperature on the soil surface of a tennis court in hot weather is 20% lower than on asphalt or concrete surfaces. A comfortable microclimate is created above the clay court due to the constant moistening of the surface.

The disadvantages of clay courts include the ball’s not always even bounce ( Author's note – How and with what markings are made on clay courts).

Green soil(actually it is gray with a green tint) “Har-Tru” ( Har-Tru) or “American soil” ( American Clay) is similar to classic red, but due to the very fine fraction of crumbs (almost dust) it is denser, and therefore faster, than red. Instead of brick chips, it uses green basalt mineral (diabase - volcanic rock), developed in the Blue Ridge quarry (Virginia), which is not processed and is only crushed into a small fraction.

The coating does not retain water, the top layer does not soften, and does not rise under the influence of negative temperatures. Thus, “Har-Tru” allows you to extend the season by 2-3 months. It can be used for both outdoor courts and indoor courts. Moreover, in the latter case its use is justified by the fact that it does not produce dust and mist, which are inevitable when playing tennis.

This coating can be laid over asphalt or concrete. It has an unlimited period of use. The more green courts are used, the more even the rebound becomes. “Har-Tru” dries quickly and is easy to maintain. When actively using the court for 6 months, no more than 400 kg of bedding is required (for red soil - 1.5-2 tons). For example, to service 12 courts made of green soil, 1 worker is enough (for red soil - at least 4 people).

Courts based on “Har-Tru”, as a rule, have a slope for water drainage.

More than 30 thousand Har-Tru courts have been built in 24 countries around the world. They are even available at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon ( Author's note: 8 green clay courts, 19 grass courts, 7 hard courts, of which 5 are indoor). Most popular in the southeastern United States. In 2004, the ITF allowed Davis Cup matches to be played on the Har Tru surface.

In the right photo, the new courts (four courts) on the roof of the National Tennis Center of Canada in Montreal were tested in August 2011 by Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.

In 2012, the owner of the Mutua Madrid Open, Romanian Ion Tiriac, covered the courts with blue soil so that the color of the coating would harmonize with the color of the title sponsor of the tournament, the insurance company Mutua Madrilena ( more details).

Currently, the ground cover layer (of all colors) is sprinkled with rubber or plastic crumbs on top, which can also be used in a clay-crumb mixture (“tennisite”).

Characteristics of clay courts

The advantage of the soil is: durability, ease of repair and surface renewal.

Flaws:

• mandatory watering of the court in the summer season;
• inability to operate for several hours after a downpour or prolonged rain;
• at sub-zero temperatures, the moisture in the limestone layer freezes and the coating swells, protruding plastic marking lines;
• spring rolling of the court with a 400-500 kg roller;
• most expensive service.

Grass

Grass is the fastest surface used in major competitions. Faster than grass, only some types of artificial turf for halls. The rebound is very low, and if you can change the rebound speed of the ball on other surfaces by adding various components to their composition, then you can change the rebound speed from the grass only by the direction of growing the grass blades and their height. For example, on the courts of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (Wimbledon), the grass is cut short - 8 mm (since 1995). But, nevertheless, the tournament organizers managed to reduce CPR, which allowed the “king of clay” Rafael Nadal to win it twice (2008, 2010).

The following video shows an interesting observation of the change in speed and height of the ball after a bounce, which transformed over the 5 years (2003-2008) when Roger Federer single-handedly dominated Wimbledon.

To prevent the ball from rebounding even lower, the soil is kept dry throughout the game day (the grass is not watered).

On grass, the likelihood of an incorrect rebound is slightly higher than on other surfaces. This happens when the ball hits either a hummock, or a large bush, or a crushed or trampled area.

The main disadvantage of turf is that its playing quality depends on the condition of the grass. For example, by the end of the Wimbledon tournament, the courts lose half their grass cover.

7-time Wimbledon champion Pete Sampras spoke quite accurately about grass courts: “ Wimbledon are two completely different tournaments. And it is played on the grass, only the first of them”.

The grass is grown in well-fertilized and granular (sandy) soil. As for the variety, based on research carried out by the Yorkshire Sports Turf Institute ( The Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI), All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club's courts use hard-wearing, long-lasting Perennial Ryegrass. The removal of the grass is carried out using a special technology (see video below), which is kept secret. When the British are asked how to make a real grass court, they answer: “ It's very simple. You need to take a special type of grass and sow it on a leveled area. After some time, fill the area with a small layer of soil and re-sow the grass. And so on several times. As soon as the grass grows, it needs to be cut and watered every day for... 100 years. Then you will have a real court”.

During the Wimbledon tournament, after the end of each day of play (approximately 21.30), the courts are watered and covered with a waterproof translucent cover ( translucent - to allow daylight to penetrate). Cover it so that in hot weather the moisture from the soil does not evaporate, and in rainy weather the turf does not get wet. Cover on the center and first courts, where the most big square cover, weighs about 1 ton.

Watering for each court is individual and is determined by the condition of the turf, tested by STRI specialists who take daily measurements throughout the tournament. In addition, at Wimbledon, the first Sunday is a day off for participants. On this non-matching day, the courts are flooded with plenty of water so that the grass can last until the end of the tournament. The approach is also individual - it all depends on the weather forecast for the next week. The volume of watering can be 3-10 times higher than daily. In general, up to 160 tons of water will be consumed over the two weeks of the championship.

The center court has an irrigation system of retractable sprinkler nozzles, controlled remotely. Other courts are watered by hand.

On each tournament morning, the grass is cut and rolled ( roller weight 200 or 250 kg depending on turf moisture content) and updating the markup.

To mark the court (paint the lines), a special marking machine and paint based on acrylic polymer with a natural filler and the addition of titanium dioxide (to increase durability) are used ( Author's note: Previously, chalk or slaked lime was used).

There is no grass in the halls, although the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club has a retractable roof over the central court ( It is planned to build a retractable roof over court No. 1 by 2018).

It is quite traumatic. Any awkward movement can lead to a fall. When you watch Wimbledon, you notice how many players, sliding on the grass, lose control of their movements ( Author's note – Some players, such as Novak Djokovic, often use sliding in the pre-shot phase, others, like Roger Federer, approach the ball in a similar way to playing on a hard court). The real danger occurs when the legs involuntarily pull apart in opposite directions (as in a split), causing increased stress on the knee and ankle joints and their ligaments. Grass is especially dangerous if it is wet. Therefore, in order for it to dry quickly, there must be a good drainage system (author’s note. There was a case when, to prepare a wet court for the finals of the US Open 1969, it was dried by helicopter ( video).

Due to the need for special care (constant watering and trimming, fertilization, protection from diseases), low wear resistance and regenerability, the limited life span of grass, as well as the need to constantly update marking lines, grass courts are currently practically not built. True, with regard to restoreability, as practice has shown, the courts of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club were prepared for Olympic Games 2012 in twenty days.

The English daily newspaper "Daily Mail" quotes (07/21/2018) the statements of the former first racket of Great Britain, and now a member of the Wimbledon Management Committee, Tim Henman: " Ideally, we would play four matches a day on Center Court and on Court No. 1. But we must not forget that this is a natural surface, grass. It must withstand 13 game days, and if you “kill” it in the first week, then serious problems will arise later.

Now the Wimbledon tournament is investing a lot of money in creating a hybrid version - partly with artificial grass. This is used in football and rugby. We need to understand what percentage of artificial grass will make tennis courts look and function properly.

Several tennis generations ago in America, Australia, India there were a lot of grass courts, but they “died out” due to the need for serious maintenance, due to the financial costs of this, due to the requirements for their quality".

Hard

This is the general name for a type of sports artificial surfaces, combining a whole range of surfaces produced in different countries and having very significant differences (in functional properties, quality, prices). A tennis surface Hard is a system of arranging acrylic layers to create certain technical characteristics court coverings. Therefore the professional term for this species is sports surfaces used in tennis: "Hard coating system".

It consists of:

• the base layer, which is an asphalt (asphalt concrete) base for outdoor courts, and concrete for indoor courts. It is possible to pour onto floor coverings made from Regupol or Kraiburg Relastec (these are coverings made from crushed crumb rubber), and even on a wooden base. In these cases, a special reinforcing mesh is used;
• self-leveling layer (Acrylic Resurfacer) black;
• one or more self-leveling softening color layers (Unirubber Cushioned Color);
• finishing layer (Precoat) with marking lines (Tex Line).

Self-leveling layers are made from rubber or rubber granules in a combination of various fractions, and the binder material is acrylic or other polyurethane emulsion. Softening layers can also be made from self-leveling rubber or seamless adjustable carpet (a fairly common option). The composition of the top layer includes melted and polished quartz sand.

The technology for applying self-leveling layers provides for minimal deviations of the court plane from a perfectly flat surface. This is achieved through the base leveling system and the method of layer-by-layer coating by “pouring” in perpendicular directions.

There are two main types of Hard:

• "Clean Hard" is a "Classic" system with 3 layers (without softening layers): a leveling layer (Acrylic Resurfacer) (for filling cracks, creating a load-bearing layer) and two functional color finishing layers (Acrylic Precoat). Used in professional tennis.
• "Hard Cushion" - systems: "Comfort" with 6 layers (3 softening) and "Premium" with 9 layers (6 softening). As additional layers, bulk rubber (Acrylic Cushion) or a combination of different fractions of rubber granules is used. It is more comfortable for the legs, significantly reduces the load on the ligaments and joints of the legs, and reduces the risk of injury.

"Clean Hard" may have a different number of softening layers. There are also coatings with 8 softening layers.

The total thickness of the self-leveling layers is 3.5-5.5 mm.

The multi-layer coating in combination with the system of functional purpose of each layer makes it possible to eliminate the influence of the heterogeneity of the base layer on the characteristics of the coating.

The number of layers, in principle, does not affect the speed characteristics of the court, the speed and height of the rebound; it is determined by the amount of sand in the mixture of the top layer. The less sand, the faster it is.

Hard system surfaces, based on the speed and height of the ball's rebound, are classified according to "ITF CS 01/01" (ITF Surface Pace Rating) into the following categories: "Medium" or "3" - average; Medium-Fast (“4”) – medium-fast; Fast (“5”) – fast ( category determination method).

The fastest system is considered to be "Deco Turf", which is used by the participants of the US Open. This hard system from the American manufacturer California Products Corporation was installed on the courts of the new US Tennis Association National Tennis Center. Billie Jean King in 1978 ( Author's note – This center is often called “Flushing Meadows” - after the name of the neighborhood in New York in which it is located).

In 1988, with the opening of the Melbourne Park National Tennis Center in Melbourne, the Australian Open began to be played on the Rebound Ace system, which is slightly slower than Deco Turf. This is evidenced by the significantly higher number of long matches compared to similar statistics for the courts at the US National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows.

Rebound Ace is a purely Austrian invention. It uses not acrylic, but polyurethane, fiberglass and crumbs from car tire recycling. This is how Boris Becker described this coating: “ Under the hot sun, such a court becomes either slippery like ice or sticky like a swamp. It's like playing in hell" But experts claim that the legs were “stuck” due to the thickness of the substrate being 8 mm, then they began to make it 4 mm.

Since 2007, the courts at Melbourne Park have been installed with Plexicushion, manufactured by California Products Corporation. The courts of the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells (USA), where the BNP Paribas Open is held, are also covered with a similar “Plexipave IW IN” system. These coatings are even slower, but more heat resistant. The base of its top layer consists of latex with plastic particles ( Author's note – It is interesting that California Products Corporation in 2013. acquired a patent for the manufacture of the "Rebound Ace" system. So it’s not that bad, and it’s also cheap.).

The courts at tournaments such as the ATP Finals at the O2 Arena in London, the Paris Masters in Paris, the Swiss Indoors in Basel and the Olympic Tennis Stadium in Rio de Janeiro use the GreenSet system.

Hard systems with a rough surface belong to the category of “non-slip” coatings. Such surfaces are characterized by a slightly different (from classical) footwork technique when approaching the ball.

Advantages:

• sufficiently high absorption of shock loads (Schlock Absorption);
• ball rebound stability;
• when installing, a large number of softening options;
• preservation of properties in a wide temperature range from +50C° to - 40C°,
• wide range of colors;
• matte coating, eliminating light reflections;
• unpretentious in maintenance and does not require special care;
• high resistance to abrasion, fading, and durability (the first restoration of the top layer is required only after 7-10 years of operation).

Flaws:

• the most traumatic surface (that’s why tennis shoe manufacturers are constantly improving their models for playing on hard courts);
• does not allow moisture to pass through;
• at high temperatures a strong unpleasant odor occurs;
• durability depends on the quality of the base layer, which is associated with a rather complex installation technology and the influence of weather conditions when applied outdoors.

Recently, hard has become most widespread in the world.

Teraflex

It is a synthetic multilayer roll coating, which includes:

• base made of concrete, asphalt, wooden floor;
• a soft backing made of closed-cell foam or PVC foam, the thickness and properties of which affect the speed of the ball's rebound (pace of play);
• Compacted top layer of 2mm thick textured vinyl.

The top layer is covered with polyurethane, which ensures ease of maintenance and protects against various marks, thereby extending the life of the coating. If the top layer is not treated with polyurethane, then special tennis shoes that do not leave marks are required.

To prevent the foot from getting stuck in the place where it is pressed, which can lead to damage if the body turns sharply ankle joint, the top layer is reinforced with fiberglass mesh.

The total thickness of the coating is 6.0-7.0 mm.

The teraflex structure promotes greater “spin” of the ball after its rebound and evenly distributes the point load over the entire area. This surface is similar to a clay court in terms of the ball's rebound speed.

Two installation options are possible: permanent, with gluing to the base and welding, and temporary, with attachment to the base with double-sided tape.

Most common brands of this coverage: Tarafleks ATP, Tennis, Sport B. Of these, Tarafleks ATP has the highest coefficient of friction, which means a slower rebound of the ball. An analogue of the coating is granoflex (Graboflex).

Advantages:

• absorption of energy (cushioning) of impacts, ensuring comfortable playing;
• ease of maintenance;
• no shoe marks remain.

Flaws:

• intended only for indoor spaces with positive temperatures;
• Precipitation and direct exposure to ultraviolet radiation are not allowed.

TO carpet covering (Carpet)

It is a synthetic carpet (tennis carpet) laid on a flat hard surface (asphalt, concrete, wood). It can be supplied in rolls or in modules. The seams are glued with a special technical device.

To “speed up” the court, as well as to allow the feet to slide when approaching the ball, carpet courts are covered with rubber granules. The use of backfill gives the surface a playful imitation of a clay court.

The bounce characteristics of the ball may vary depending on the thickness, texture and material from which the carpet is made. Since the surface is softer than that of hard courts, the speed of play on them is somewhat lower. Such courts are usually built indoors. For example, tournaments were held on carpet: “Paris Masters”, “US Pro Indoor”, “Kremlin Cup”. Since 2009, the ATP and WTA have stopped holding their tournaments on carpet. However, it is permitted during competitions under the auspices of the ITF, including the Davis Cup and the Fed Cup.

Advantages:

• predictable and optimal ball rebound in terms of height and speed;
• good grip on shoes, while also allowing for rotation of the foot;
• small loads on the musculoskeletal system of tennis players.

Flaws:

• high cost;
• influence of temperature conditions (as the temperature rises, the coating becomes softer);
• susceptible to damage and may collapse (see video).

Artificial Grass (Synthetic Grass Tennis, Super Grass, Artificial Grass)

It is a type of carpet laid on an asphalt or concrete base. It is produced using the “tufting method” technology: voluminous fibers imitating grass stems are woven into a highly elastic base, which is then covered with latex. The pile is made of polypropylene, polyethylene or a combination of both, which determines the durability and cost of the coating.

The differences lie in the type of fiber imitating grass and, as a result, in the service life, height and density of the pile (number of stitches per square meter), as well as the amount of backfill with quartz sand or rubber (rubber) granules. The latter allow you to avoid skin burns when falling on the lawn. The purpose of the backfill is to stabilize the pile in a vertical position and optimize uniform bounce across the entire surface of the court. Depending on the thickness of the backfill, the height of the pile and the density of the coating are adjusted, which allows you to vary the speed of the ball's rebound over a wide range: from slow to very fast. In addition, the hardness of the coating (the speed of the ball's rebound) depends on the degree of humidity of the backfill, for which this coating must be equipped with a water irrigation system.

Depending on the backfill, grass coverings are classified as:

• backfill, with a pile height of 18-22 mm;
• semi-fill, with a pile height of 12-18 mm and greater density;
• non-fill, with a pile height of 8-12 mm.

Semi-fill and non-fill coatings require more demanding base construction.

Playing on infill or semi-infill grass is closest in its characteristics to playing on natural grass or dirt.

The markings are integrated into the coating directly at the manufacturer's factory, thereby reducing the number of coating joints.

After the first winter, the sand settles, after which leaves and other contaminants can be blown off or swept away without any problems.

Advantages:

• good sliding and turning capabilities, which ensures comfortable and safe play;
• light loads on the spine, joints and ligaments of the legs;
• hygroscopicity (the drainage system of artificial grass allows games to be played 20 minutes after rain);
• all-weather and frost resistance (allows you to play at any time of the year);
• durability (wear resistance);
• not demanding in care and maintenance, which means it does not require large expenses;
• quick installation (2-3 days).

The disadvantage is its high cost.

Synthetic Ground

It is a monolithic coating that has playing characteristics corresponding to natural red soil.

Comprises:

• concrete or asphalt base;
• an intermediate (shock-absorbing) polyurethane layer, which foams when applied;
• covering layer in the form of polyurethane granules.

Variation in the speed of ball rebound, sliding and shock absorption is carried out by modifying the intermediate layer.

Advantages:

• ease of care and restoration;
• no need for watering (compared to natural soil);
• high resistance to atmospheric influences (moisture, ultraviolet radiation, temperature fluctuations over a wide range);
• sufficiently high return energy of the coating, combined with reasonable absorption of impact energy;
• comfort of the game;
• the ability to set the desired ball rebound speed during installation.

Modular Covering

It is made of impact-resistant polystyrene (PP) and, thanks to the strictly organized dense structure of its surface, the coating ensures the correct rebound of the ball. The structure of the module has a mesh shape and its perforated surface does not retain water and dirt. The modular surface combines the qualities of grass and clay courts, but in terms of a set of properties (general dynamics of the game, contact of sports shoes with the surface, ball rebound) it is closer to clay ones.

The covering is assembled from separate modules and joined together with self-jamming fastening elements without the use of glue or other auxiliary materials. It can be easily mounted on any hard, flat surface - concrete, asphalt, old worn out hard courts (even if they have cracks). Installation on compacted sand without a solid base is possible. When the coating is immersed in it, the sand fills and wedges each cell of the structural lattice. This installation method is more complex and requires additional equipment. But at the same time, overall costs are significantly reduced.

Module (tile) size: 333×333×16 mm.

The main advantages of modular coverings:

• increased strength and wear resistance;
• noise absorption;
• ease of installation and dismantling;
• does not require maintenance.

Disadvantage - used for amateur players.

(Author's note – In the history of tennis, there have also been “exotic” surfaces. So in 1963 the Indian team, as part of the Davis Cup, hosted the Americans in Bombay on the courts of the Cricket Club of India, which were made on the basis cow dung. However, the specific smell did not prevent the US team from winning with a score of 5:0).

Tennis (tennis)- a sport in which two players or two teams of two compete with each other. The goal of each player/team is to throw the ball to the opponent's side with the racket so that the opponent cannot reflect it. In this case, the ball must touch the opponent’s half of the field at least once.

History of the emergence and development of tennis

The predecessor of tennis is considered to be the French game “jeu de paume” (French jeu de paume, literally playing with the palm). Unlike modern tennis, jeu de paume was played indoors and with the palm of the hand. Later, the palms were replaced by gloves, the gloves were replaced by special bats, and only then rackets appeared.

One of the most famous references to tennis in medieval literature is an episode in Shakespeare's historical chronicle Henry V, where the French Dauphin sends the young English king a keg of tennis balls as a mockery.

Almost all French kings played tennis; Charles IX called tennis “one of the most noble, worthy and healthy exercises that princes, peers and other noble persons can engage in.”

In 1900, students at Harvard University decided to organize a tournament for national teams. One of the students, Dwayne Davis, used his own money to buy a silver cup for the winner, and most importantly, he drew up the rules of the tournament. Davis and two of his friends played for the US team, which won this tournament and the next one in 1902. The Cup was held every year and was subsequently called the "Davis Cup", which is still a popular event in the world of tennis.

Beginning in the 1920s, professional tennis players began making money by playing exhibition matches. The first professional tennis match in history took place on October 9, 1926 in New York at the Madison Square Garden indoor arena, in the presence of 13 thousand spectators.

Rules of the game of tennis

Players or teams must be on opposite sides of the net. One of the players is the server, the second, respectively, the receiver. The serving player must send the ball so that it lands in the opponent's half of the court. The receiving player must have time to redirect (hit) the ball to the opponent's side before it hits the court or before it touches the court a second time. If one of the tennis players misses the ball, then his opponent gets a point.

A tennis match consists of “sets”, and they, in turn, are made up of “games”, to win which you need to score goals (minimum 4 goals: 15-30-40 game, but with a difference of at least two goals). When serving, the player has two attempts in which he alternates serving the ball to the left and right squares. After the game is played, the serve passes to the opponent. After playing an odd number of games, players are given a minute break and sides are changed. The first player to win 6 games (provided that his opponent has won no more than 4 games) is considered to have won the set. To win the match you need to win 2 out of 3 or 3 out of 5 sets. The player who reaches the required number of sets won wins the match.

The rules of doubles tennis are slightly different from singles, namely:

• the match takes place on a larger court;
• the ball is hit by the one who is in the best position;
• players of each team serve in turn;
• players only accept serves from their side throughout the entire set.

At official matches there is a referee, he is on the tower. In addition to the judge on the tower during the match, there may be line judges who record the ball entering the court area. Since 2006, tennis has seen the era of electronic refereeing systems (Eye of the Hawk), which accurately determine where the ball lands.

Tennis court

The standard size of a tennis court is 23.77 meters long and 8.23 ​​meters wide (10.97 meters for doubles). The area of ​​the tennis court is about 196 m2. To install tennis courts intended for competitions, an area of ​​668 m2 is required. The court has rectangular shape with a flat surface with markings applied to it:

• The lines along the short sides of the court are called back lines, and along the long sides are called lineouts.
• The court has service zones marked with service lines parallel to the back lines and the net, at a distance of 6.40 m from the net and drawn only between the side lines for single player, as well as the central service line, drawn in the middle of the court parallel to the side lines and between the service lines. The center service line is also indicated on the net by a vertical white stripe stretched from the surface of the court to the top edge of the net.
• A short mark is applied to the back lines to mark their middle.

There is a net stretched in the middle of the court, which runs across the entire width and divides it into two equal parts. Standard mesh size for tennis is 1.07 meters by 12.8 meters, and has square cells with a side of 4 centimeters.

Types of tennis court surfaces:

• herbal (grass),
• ground (clay),
• hard
• synthetic carpets (artificial grass, acrylic coverings).

There are other types of tennis court surfaces, such as asphalt, wood or rubber, but these are not used in official matches. Tennis courts are available outdoor and indoor.

Tennis equipment

Tennis equipment: tennis racquet and a ball. The racket consists of a handle and a round rim with with stretched strings. The rim of the racket is made of complex composite materials (ceramics, carbon fiber, metal). Tennis racket strings can be either natural or synthetic. Previously, it was believed that natural strings had better characteristics, but today artificial strings have caught up with natural strings in terms of characteristics. Interestingly, the tension force of horizontal and vertical strings is usually different. Typically, a tennis racket is selected individually for each player.

There are special requirements for rackets from the International Tennis Federation (ITF):

• The length of the racket must not exceed 73.66 cm.
• The width of the racket should not exceed 31.75 cm.
• The size of the string surface of the racket, that is, the internal size (to the rim) is 29.21 cm in width and 39.37 cm in length.

The game is played using a yellow-white hollow rubber ball. The outside of the ball is covered with fluffy felt to impart certain aerodynamic properties.

Tennis tournaments

1. In modern tennis, the largest competitions are considered to be 4 tournaments Grand Slam:

• Australian Open - Australian Open Championship
• Rolland Garos (Roland Garosse) - French Open Championship
• Wimbledon Championships - the most prestigious championship in the Grand Slam series, takes place in the outskirts of London - Wimbledon
• US Open - US Open Championship.

1. The Davis Cup is the unofficial world tennis championship.
2. The Kremlin Cup is the largest championship in Russia.

The grass surface of tennis courts is characterized by fast and extremely low ball bounce. Success on grass is usually achieved by players who adhere to an attacking style of play and have an excellent serve. Roger Federer and Pete Sampras are prime examples of this.

Grass tennis courts have been used since the birth of tennis.

This is the oldest tennis court surface, which began to be used with the advent of tennis. Currently, grass courts are not very common because they have high operating costs and are highly dependent on the climate.

Clay courts

Tennis court clay is a very slow type of surface. When playing on it, the ball's bounce is often unpredictable. Such courts have low cost and low trauma, which is their significant advantage. However, a clay court must be constantly watered, leveled, the marking lines must be cleaned, and tennisite must be added. To succeed in professional tennis on this sticky surface, you need to have excellent stamina, strength and patience. To withstand a long, grueling match under the scorching sun, you also need good health.

Hard

Hard is characterized average speed and stable ball bounce. Hard surfaces for tennis courts can vary in ball bounce speed depending on their structure. Hard surfaces increase the load on the legs, spine and joints, so hard courts are less comfortable to play than dirt and grass surfaces.

The main disadvantage of hard drive is its risk of injury, which is caused by high level grip of shoes with the surface of the court and lack of slippage. In addition, due to the rigidity of this coating, the joints experience increased stress.

The structure of hard surfaces for tennis courts consists of several self-leveling acrylic layers of different compositions applied to concrete, asphalt or a wooden base. As a rule, instead of hardboard, Regupol is used as an acrylic coating. It consists of five layers, and it is possible to achieve the desired characteristics in terms of ball rebound speed and comfort during the game.

The advantage of hard surface courts compared to dirt and grass is their ease of regular maintenance, the ability to use both indoors and outdoors, in any climate, and their ease of repair. However, courts with a good acrylic coating will not be cheap.

Synthetic surface for tennis courts

Synthetic carpeting is considered to be quite slow, but the speed and height of bounce can vary greatly depending on the number of layers, the material and its thickness. As a rule, this type of coating is used for indoor courts.

There are two main types of carpet: roll and tile. Today, the most popular synthetic coatings are Taraflex and Supreme. They consist of several layers and are distinguished by high strength. In addition, due to the presence of a damping layer, such courts have a low risk of injury for tennis players.

Artificial grass is another type of synthetic carpet. The advantage of artificial grass is its softness, ability to slide, low load on the joints and spine and, as a result, low risk of injury. In addition, this type of carpet is all-weather.

Synthetic carpets have received recognition from both professionals and amateurs around the world, but it is worth noting that a significant drawback of high-quality carpets is their high cost.

Other coatings

There are other types of tennis court surfaces. Wooden and asphalt courts are widespread in Russia. The tree has a very fast rebound, low risk of injury due to its good damping properties.

Asphalt pavement is characterized by low, slow rebound, high load on the joints, spine and legs. These types of surfaces are not used in professional tournaments, although they have become very popular among players due to their low cost and widespread use.

Recently, it has become popular to improve summer cottages and make them more comfortable for relaxation. Today, swimming pools, gazebos, a golf course, courts, etc. are being built at the dacha. The court (ground) is intended for playing tennis. In this article we will look at the construction of a tennis court on the site.

Before starting construction, it is worth deciding on the location of the future court, and for this you need to know its allowable area. European standard size the court is 18x36 m, for a single game the size is 23.77x8.23 m, this is an area designed for races and other game moments. For beginners and children, courts with dimensions of 17x34 m or 16x32 m are suitable. But do not forget that children are growing, and a beginner tennis player will soon gain experience, so increasing the boundaries of the built court, of course, will be problematic later.

When building a court, the most important aspects are the choice of surface, fencing and lighting.

The main thing during the construction of a tennis court is to adhere to some rules, especially if you want to get a professional court. This is not only accurate markings, but also special baskets for balls, and many other necessary things. The court fencing is made mainly using chain-link mesh, which is stretched between metal pipes. Its height should be such that the ball does not fly into neighboring areas, that is, 3-4 m will be enough. last place lighting also occupies. If you like to play in the evening, then you will need from 5 to 10 lamps, the power of which is more than 200 W. They should be on a mast 6-8 m high.

Protection from rain, wind or snow will be structures made on the basis of a frame or sandwich panels. These structures, equipped with a heating system, will allow you to survive any weather.

The main and most expensive part of the court, of course, is its covering. Exist different types coverings for tennis courts, the material of which significantly affects the quality of the game itself. Naturally, with any chosen option, it will be necessary to lay the foundation, that is, prepare the site. To do this, you need to level the ground, create a “cushion” that will serve as a drain for moisture. The type of “cushion” depends on the cover you choose.

The main types of surfaces for tennis courts are: clay, grass, carpet and hard courts.

Types of tennis court surfaces

Priming

For a court in a summer cottage, a dirt surface is best suited. It is considered less traumatic, which is important for children and adults. The ground surface will allow you to avoid heavy loads on the legs and spine during the game. Well, other advantages include its fairly quick construction (about 3 weeks) and relatively low cost. But at the same time, a clay court requires more attention during use: it takes a long time to dry, it must be thoroughly cleaned of leaves, in hot weather it must be watered for about five minutes, and repairs must be carried out in the spring. If you start a clay court, grass may grow on it in the spring. To avoid this, it is necessary to repair the court annually; this will require about 3-5 tons of tennisite (this is a special mixture of sand, brick and marble chips, clay and other components that form the surface for a clay court). For a standard court, about 40 tons of tennisite are recommended, the height of which in compacted form will reach up to 4 cm. For proper care For a clay court, you must remember that the court should not be too dry or wet, and after the game it is advisable to walk along the court with a special brush.

"Hard"

The covering, called "hard", is made of acrylic, it is used in the construction of sports fields and tennis courts. Its color range is very diverse. “Hard” has proven itself well on indoor and outdoor courts. The area for this coating must be concreted or asphalted. Laying in 3-4 layers is considered a hard type, and a coating that has more than seven layers is considered an injury-proof option.

This type of coating is quite reliable and, with good preparation of its base, can last more than ten years and does not require special care. You can use the “hard” coating already in April, and after heavy rain, you just need to collect the water with a rubber mop. The disadvantages include the too long period of its construction - approximately two to three months.

Plastic

For the amateur level, a plastic coating is suitable. It is assembled quickly and easily from individual modules. The plastic covering, just like the hard cover, is mounted on a solid base; it does not require special operating conditions and allows for rapid drainage. The disadvantages include its instability to our climatic conditions. Therefore, when purchasing it, it is important not to forget to ask the seller about the availability of a warranty on the material.

Grass

Grass courts are considered standard. They are often used in major tournaments, but this does not mean that they do not have drawbacks. The ball's bounce and other parameters that affect the game depend on the condition of the lawn. In addition, such a court requires professional care, which is not so easy to organize on site.

There is also artificial grass, it consists of polypropylene fibers. There are two types of grass: backfill, the length of its pile reaches 20 mm; semi-fill - has a pile 10 mm long. Artificial fibers are woven into a base of elastic latex. After installation, all this is covered with quartz sand on top. Artificial grass can be placed on a dense “cushion” made of granite screenings or on a concrete surface.

This tennis court surface requires watering, because the degree of moisture determines the hardness and how quickly the ball bounces. Sand, like soil, will need to be replenished over time or simply leveled, and in dry weather it must be moistened. The disadvantages are that if there is excess moisture, the artificial grass cover will be too slippery.

The basis

The site for the construction of a tennis court will be prepared depending on the selected surface. By the way, errors and inaccuracies during the construction of the foundation can reduce the advantages of durable and expensive materials. The depth of the excavation for the base is from 40 to 60 cm, and the thickness of the concrete layer is 15 cm.

And the need for preliminary backfilling for a solid base of crushed stone and sand will depend on the type of soil. For a smooth and dense surface, it is best to roll these layers with a construction roller. To make the tennis court dry better, it is made with a slight slope: on the short side - from 0.5% to 1%. A system for removing excess moisture in the form of gutters must be provided in advance by the builders.

Addition to the court

To use the court, various equipment and accessories are required. Any court must have a net and posts for it, and a basket for balls. To level the ground surface, you will need a rake. To cover hard surfaces, you need to purchase a roller that removes moisture, as well as a plastic marking line cleaner and a ball collection machine.

Construction of a tennis court on a site is a very labor-intensive and expensive undertaking, but it pays off with the pleasure of playing.

Tennis is a sport that requires compliance with many conditions. This means not only personal sporting qualities players and suitable equipment, but also the conditions of the court itself, in particular, good coverage. What are the main types of different tennis court surfaces, and what are the requirements for them?

• Grass;
• Ground coating;
• Hard;
• Carpet synthetics;
• Other options.

Grass cover

When it comes to types of tennis court surfaces, grass courts are the first to come to mind. This coating is classic, which became widespread more than a hundred years ago. Such a court requires careful and expensive operation, and can only serve as a platform for representatives of professional sports who have the skill quick game. The best grass courts today can be found in the UK and Australia.

Ground coating

Quite popular nowadays, the coating is intended for tennis courts due to the low cost of materials for the arrangement and the low probability of injury to athletes during the game. The usual pattern of play on clay is slow speed and long rallies.

Courts covered with soil require constant monitoring of their condition and systematic maintenance. The world's best clay courts are located in Spain, South America and France.

Hard – hard surface

A universal hard surface that provides a fast and stable rebound of the ball is usually made of concrete coated with a layer of synthetic material. Pros - they are not dependent on the weather, they are used for outdoor courts and indoor courts in various rooms, and also do not require special maintenance. Disadvantages: special shoes are required, increased risk of injury and decreased visibility of the playing area on open hard courts in sunny weather. Hard is applied to open championships in Australia and the USA.

Synthetic carpet

This type of coating, made from slabs or in the form of a roll, can be laid on any surface, provides excellent shock absorption, has a low risk of injury and increased strength. It is used mainly in indoor types of courts, and is very much in demand in our country - this is the court on which we host the Kremlin Cup.

Other types of tennis court surfaces

The remaining types of various coatings for tennis courts, in many respects, are extremely low-cost options that are used at the amateur level. This is a laminate, asphalt and rubber court surface.