Clay court

Clay is a generic term for an aggregate of hydrous silicate particles less than 4 μm (micrometres) in diameter. Clay consists of a variety of phyllosilicate minerals rich in silicon and aluminium oxides and hydroxides which include variable amounts of structural water. Clays are generally formed by the chemical weathering of silicate-bearing rocks by carbonic acid, but some are formed by hydrothermal activity. Clays are distinguished from other small parti ...

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• Clay - Historical and modern uses of clay

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Clays are heavy in texture yet soft to the touch. Clay is a malleable substance when wet, which means it can be shaped easily with the hands. When dry, it becomes firm and when "fired," or hardened by intense heat, clay becomes permanently solid. A fireplace or oven specifically designed for hardening clay is called a kiln. These properties make clay an ideal substance for making durable pottery items, both practical and decorative, with different types of clay and firing conditions giving earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. Early humans d ...

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Clay, Clay - Historical and modern uses of clay

Read more here: » Clay: Encyclopedia II - Clay - Historical and modern uses of clay

Clays are heavy in texture yet soft to the touch. Clay is a malleable substance when wet, which means it can be shaped easily with the hands. When dry, it becomes firm and when "fired," or hardened by intense heat, clay becomes permanently solid. A fireplace specifically designed for hardening clay is called a kiln. These properties make clay an ideal subtance for making pottery, stoneware and various other practical items. Early humans discovered the useful properties of clay in prehistoric times, and one of the earliest artifacts ever unco ...

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Clay, Clay - Historical and modern uses of clay

Read more here: » Clay: Encyclopedia II - Clay - Historical and modern uses of clay

Tennis - The court. Main article: Tennis court Tennis is played on a rectangular flat surface, usually of grass, clay, or concrete (hard court). The court is 78 feet (23.77 m) long, and its width is 27 feet (8.23 m) for singles matches and 36 feet (10.97 m) for doubles matches. Additional clear space around the court is required in order for players to reach overrun balls. A net is stretched across the full width of the court, parallel with the baselines, dividing it into two equal ends. The net is 3 feet 6 inches (1.07 m) high at the posts ...

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Tennis, Tennis - Manner of play, Tennis - The court, Tennis - Play of a single point, Tennis - Scoring, Tennis - Officials, Tennis - Miscellaneous, Tennis - Shots, Tennis - Serve, Tennis - Forehand, Tennis - Backhand, Tennis - Other shots, Tennis - Tournaments, Tennis - History, Tennis - Great players

Read more here: » Tennis: Encyclopedia II - Tennis - Manner of play

Many great players played in the days before tennis's Open era, many of whom are unknown by modern sports fans. Among them are "Big Bill" Tilden, Ellsworth Vines, Fred Perry, Don Budge, Bobby Riggs, Jack Kramer, Pancho Segura, Frank Sedgman, Pancho Gonzales, Ken Rosewall, and Lew Hoad. Any one of these eleven would probably be competitive in today's game. Other fine players of the pre-Open era include Maurice McLoughlin, "Little Bill" Johnston, the "Four Musketeers" (Jean Borotra, Jacques Brugnon, Henri Cochet, and René Lacoste), Vinnie Ric ...

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Tennis, Tennis - Manner of play, Tennis - The court, Tennis - Play of a single point, Tennis - Scoring, Tennis - Officials, Tennis - Miscellaneous, Tennis - Shots, Tennis - Serve, Tennis - Forehand, Tennis - Backhand, Tennis - Other shots, Tennis - Tournaments, Tennis - History, Tennis - Great players

Read more here: » Tennis: Encyclopedia II - Tennis - Great players

Tennis has a long history (deriving from the 'jeu de paume'), but its establishment as the modern sport can be dated to two separate roots. In 1859 Major Thomas Henry Gem, a solicitor, and his friend Batista Pereira, a Spanish merchant, who both lived in Birmingham, England played a game they named "pelota", after a Spanish ball game. The game was played on a lawn in Edgbaston. In 1872 both men moved to Leamington Spa, and with two doctors from the Warneford Hospital, played pelota on the lawn behind the Manor House Hotel (now residential ap ...

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Tennis, Tennis - Manner of play, Tennis - The court, Tennis - Play of a single point, Tennis - Scoring, Tennis - Officials, Tennis - Miscellaneous, Tennis - Shots, Tennis - Serve, Tennis - Forehand, Tennis - Backhand, Tennis - Other shots, Tennis - Tournaments, Tennis - History, Tennis - Great players

Read more here: » Tennis: Encyclopedia II - Tennis - History

Tournaments are often organized by gender and number of players. Common tournament configurations include men's singles, women's singles, doubles (where two players of the same sex play on each side), and mixed doubles (with a member of each sex per side). Tournaments may be arranged for for specific age groups, with upper age limits for youth and lower age limits for senior players. There are also tournaments for handicapped players. In the four grand slams, the draw (the maximum number of players allowed in a particular cate ...

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Tennis, Tennis - Manner of play, Tennis - The court, Tennis - Play of a single point, Tennis - Scoring, Tennis - Officials, Tennis - Miscellaneous, Tennis - Shots, Tennis - Serve, Tennis - Forehand, Tennis - Backhand, Tennis - Other shots, Tennis - Tournaments, Tennis - History, Tennis - Great players

Read more here: » Tennis: Encyclopedia II - Tennis - Tournaments

A competent tennis player has eight basic shots in his or her repertoire: the serve, forehand, backhand, volley, half-volley, overhead smash, drop shot, and lob. Tennis - Serve. Main article: Serve A serve (or, more formally, a service) in tennis is a shot to start a point. The serve is 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. The server may employ differe ...

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Tennis, Tennis - Manner of play, Tennis - The court, Tennis - Play of a single point, Tennis - Scoring, Tennis - Officials, Tennis - Miscellaneous, Tennis - Shots, Tennis - Serve, Tennis - Forehand, Tennis - Backhand, Tennis - Other shots, Tennis - Tournaments, Tennis - History, Tennis - Great players

Read more here: » Tennis: Encyclopedia II - Tennis - Shots