History of Table Tennis

Table tennis is a sport practiced since 1880. It is also known as ping-pong and at first it was played only by people in the upper-classes. In 1926 was founded the International Table Tennis Federation that now has 210 member associations.

History of table tennis

The game originates in Britain and it was played in the upper-classes after dinners. They set up a table and they used books as a net on the center of the table. Every player had also a book with which they hit the golf-ball. A company saw that the game became more popular and began to manufacture the necessary equipment for the game. The books hitting the golf-ball were replaced by rackets and the books on the center of the table dividing it in two was replaced by a net.

Around 1902, the game was improved. They created a special racket which was made by wood and rubber. Tournaments began to appear and the game grew in popularity. In some countries, like Russia, the game was banned because it was believed that it was harmful for the eyes. In 1902 was held the first tournament, but it had an unofficial status.

Later, the game became very popular; the Federation was founded in 1921 and after a couple of years began the official tournaments. They were first held in London and then all around the world.

Modern game

The Federation wrote rules and these were accepted unanimous. Thus, the game began to be televised and it grew rapidly in popularity. It is played in single (one-on-one) or in a team. Even if it is a competition games and it is played by professionals, for the amateurs it is fun game and it is used as a way of bonding or releasing stress. Table tennis can be played during lunch breaks or at the end of a working day. In any case, practicing sports is a relaxation method, because people can release stress and they can forget about some particular problems they could have at the work office or even at home. Table tennis is a fun game to play with your friends and sometimes it can get very competitive. Of course, if you win when you play with your friends it does not mean that you can sign up fro professionals but it is still a fun sport to play any time you feel you need to relieve some pressure.

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A Fun Look At The Historical Past Of Tennis

Tennis as we know it today was developed in Britain in the late nineteenth century. Previously, the game was generally known as lawn tennis in order to separate it from other associated field and lawn games as well as to what was called real tennis. "Real" tennis and "lawn" tennis were basically recognized by where they were played. Real tennis, in ancient times, was played on an indoor court and called the sport of royals. Lawn tennis is the more contemporary version, played outside on grass such as at Wimbledon. Once lawn tennis was developed, its popularity spread throughout the upper-class English speaking population first, and then the remaining portion of the world. Tennis is undoubtedly an all-access sport, because it can be played by anyone who can hold a racquet. Tennis happens to be an Olympic sport and also a Special Olympics sport.

Tennis is appreciated by countless players on the amateur, hobbyist and professional levels. Tennis is an extremely well-liked worldwide spectator sport, specifically for the four Grand Slam tournaments. The Grand Slam tournaments are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. Tennis is played over a flat, rectangular surface composed most often of grass or clay. A tennis match is established through the best of three or five sets. Typically, the first player to win two sets wins the match although in men's tennis at all four Grand Slam tournaments, the Davis Cup and the finals of the Olympics, the first player to win three sets wins the match. Tennis scoring tend to be confusing for some, even some who've played as a hobby for quite a while. A set is made up of games in order to win games you have got to score points.

A tennis game is won by the first player to win at least four points total and at least two points above his or her opponent. Tennis has an special way of reporting the running score of each game. Points or scores from zero to three are called "love", "fifteen", "thirty", and "forty" respectively. If the players have each scored at least three points and their scores are equal, it is called "deuce." Conversely, if both players have scored at least three points but one player has one more point than their opponent, the score is called "advantage." The scoring gets more complicated following that, depending on the amount of sets and matches in the players are and at what level they are playing.

In tennis, a set is a series of games played with the serving player alternating back and forth. In many instances, a player wins a set by winning at least six games and at least two more than their opponent. If one player has won six games and the other has won five games an additional game is played. If the leading player wins, they win the set at 7-5. If the trailing player wins, a tie-break is played. A tie-break has an entirely separate set of rules but primarily, one more game is played and the winning player then takes the set 7-6. Having said that, in the final sets of matches at the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, the Olympic Games, Davis Cup and Fed Cup tie-breakers are not played. Instead, the players go one to play sets indefinitely until one player has a two set advantage. "Game, set, match" followed with the winning players name is announced at the end of a match in tournament play.

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Wimbledon Championship

There are many sports in this world but few among them become a tradition like tennis. This sport has been around since the 19th century when it was first played. There are many tournaments held by many governing bodies in the world of tennis but the most traditional and prestigious is the Wimbledon championship. People refer saying only Wimbledon because of its popularity among the Grand slams held every year. The first Wimbledon championship was held in the All England Club in London in 1877 and is still held at that same place now. Wimbledon has its own surface, which is grass, and so people generally refer to tennis as "lawn tennis". The tournament usually takes place from June to July over a course of 2 weeks. The Grand Slams which I have been talking about are a collection of major events happening in a year that consist of the Australian Open, The French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open. The Australian Open takes place first then the French Open then Wimbledon and finally the US Open. The Grand Slams decide a player's world rankings.

The Australian Open is played in a hard court while the French is on a clay court and the Wimbledon is played on a traditional grass court and finally the US Open is played on a hard court again. There are many traditions of the Wimbledon some of them are eating strawberries and cream, there is a dress code for players. The All England Club was founded in 1688 and was named the All England Croquet Club. Lawn tennis was first invented by Major Walter Clopton Wingfield and tennis was known as "sphairistrike". The prize money for the 2009 Wimbledon cup was £12,550,000. The BBGs are a part of the many traditions of the Wimbledon which helps the Shaftsbury Children's Home. The BBGs also provided for the native schools.

The traditional colors of Wimbledon are Mauv or dark green and purple. Many royal people come to see this prestigious game, and all the players have to bow in front of them when either leaving or entering the court. But the Duke Kent who is the president of the All England Club decided to withdraw this tradition and made that is only if the Queen or the Prince of Wales is present only then the players must bow in front of them.

The Wimbledon has its own radio station which in on air when champion ship matches are going on at the Wimbledon Centre Court, which is the trademark court for the Wimbledon. It is renowned as the most sophisticated radio station which is held annually. The main commentators and reporters are Gigi Salmon, Nick Lestor, Rupert Bell, Nigel Bidmead, Guy Swindells, Lucie Ahl, Nadine Towell and Helen Whitaker. The Wimbledon is a traditional event and always will be through the ages.

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History of Tennis: Early Years

The history of tennis dates back several thousand years. The game was first created by European monks to be played for entertainment purposes during religious ceremonies. To begin with, the ball was hit with the hand. Soon the leather glove came into existence. This was soon replaced with an adaptive handle for effective hitting and serving of the ball. Thus was born the first racquet. With the evolution of the racket, the tennis balls also underwent frequent alterations. The first tennis ball was wooden. It gave way to a bouncier, leather ball filled with cellulose material. The monasteries across Europe cherished the game during the 14th century much to the chagrin of the Church.

The game soon became very popular, predominantly in France where it was adopted by the royal family.  During the period between the 16th and 18th centuries, the game called ' Jeu de paumme' - the game of the palm was a highly regarded by kings and noblemen. The French players would begin the game by shouting the word “tenez!” which meant “Play!” The game soon came to be called royal or “real tennis.”

 In 1874, Major Walter Wingfield acquired the patent rights for the equipments and rules for the game which bore close resemblance to the modern tennis. On the same year, the first tennis courts emerged in the United States. The game soon spread to different parts of the world like Russia, Canada, China and India. The smooth croquet courts served as ready tennis courts during those times.  The original court devised by Wingfield was in the shape of an hourglass which tapered at the net. It was shorter than the modern court which we have today. His version of tennis courts and the rules of games underwent a fair amount of changes and amendments till the game gave to the modernized version which is played today.