THE SINGLE-HANDED GAME.
1.—For the single-handed game, the Court is 27 ft. in width and 78 ft. in length. It is divided across the middle by a net, the ends of which are attached to the tops of two posts, which stand 3 ft. outside the Court on each side. The height of the net is 3 ft. 6 in. at the posts, and 3 ft. at the centre. At each end of the Court, parallel with the net, and at a distance of 39 ft. from it, are drawn the Base-lines, the extremities of which are connected by the side-lines. Half-way between the side-lines, and parallel with them, is drawn the half-court-line, dividing the space on each side of the net into two equal parts, called the right and left courts. On each side of the net, at a distance of 21 ft. from it, and parallel with it, are drawn the service-lines.
2.—The balls shall not be less than 2½ in., nor more than 2-9/16 in. in diameter; and not less than 1-7/8 oz., nor more than 2 oz. in weight.
3.—In matches where Umpires are appointed, their decision shall be final; but where a Referee is appointed, an appeal shall lie to him from the decision of an Umpire on a question of law.
4.—The choice of sides and the right of serving during the first games shall be decided by toss; provided that, if the winner of the toss choose the right to serve, the other player shall have the choice of sides, and vice-versâ; and provided that the winner of the toss may, if he prefer it, require the other player to make the first choice.
5.—The players shall stand on opposite sides of the net; the player who first delivers the ball shall be called the Server, the other the Striker-out.
6.—At the end of the first game the Striker-out shall become Server, and the Server shall become Striker-out; and so on alternately in the subsequent games of the set.
7.—The Server shall stand with one foot beyond (i.e., further from the net than) the base line, and with the other foot upon the base line, and shall deliver the service from the right and left Courts alternately, beginning from the right.
8.—The ball served must drop within the service-line, half-court-line, and side-line of the Court which is diagonally opposite to that from which it was served, or upon any such line.
9.—It is a fault if the service be delivered from the wrong Court, or if the Server do not stand as directed in Law 7, or if the ball served drop in the net or beyond the service-line, or if it drop out of Court or in the wrong Court; it is not a fault if the Server's foot, which is beyond the base-line, do not touch the ground at the moment at which the service is delivered.
10.—A fault may not be taken.
11.—After a fault, the Server shall serve again from the same Court from which he served that fault, unless it was a fault because served from the wrong Court.
12.—A fault may not be claimed after the next service has been delivered.
13.—The service may not be volleyed, i.e., taken before it touches the ground.
14.—The Server shall not serve until the Striker-out is ready. If the latter attempt to return the service, he shall be deemed to be ready.
15.—A ball is in-play from the moment at which it is delivered in service (unless a fault) until it has been volleyed by the Striker-out in his first stroke, or has dropped in the net or out of Court, or has touched either of the players or anything that he wears or carries, except his racket in the act of striking, or has been struck by either of the players with his racket more than once consecutively, or has been volleyed before it has passed over the net, or has failed to pass over the net before its first bound (except as provided in Law 17), or has touched the ground twice consecutively on either side of the net, though the second time may be out of Court.
16.—It is a let if the ball served touch the net, provided the service be otherwise good; or if a service or fault be delivered when the Striker-out is not ready; or if either player be prevented by an accident beyond his control from serving or returning the ball in play. In case of a let, the service or stroke counts for nothing, and the server shall serve again.
17.—It is a good return although the ball touch the net, or, having passed outside either post, drop on or within any of the lines which bound the Court into which it is returned.
18.—The Server wins a stroke if the Striker-out volley the service, or fail to return the service or the ball in-play (except in the case of a let), or return the service or ball in play so that it drop outside any of the lines which bound his opponent's Court, or otherwise lose a stroke, as provided by Law 20.
19.—The Striker-out wins a stroke if the Server serve two consecutive faults, or fail to return the ball in-play (except in the case of a let), or return the ball in-play so that it drop outside any of the lines which bound his opponent's Court, or otherwise lose a stroke, as provided by Law 20.
20.—Either player loses a stroke if the ball in-play touch him or anything that he wears or carries, except his racket in the act of striking; or it he touch or strike the ball in-play with his racket more than once consecutively; or if he touch the net or any of its supports while the ball is in-play; or if he volley the ball before it has passed the net.
21.—On either player winning his first stroke, the score is called 15 for that player; on either player winning his second stroke, the score is called 30 for that player; on either player winning his third stroke, the score is called 40 for that player; and the fourth stroke won by either player is scored game for that player; except as below:—
If both players have won three strokes, the score is called deuce; and the next stroke won by either player is scored advantage for that player. If the same player win the next stroke, he wins the game; if he lose the next stroke, the score is again called deuce; and so on until either player win the two strokes immediately following the score at deuce, when the game is scored for that player.
22.—The player who first wins six games wins a set; except as below:—
If both players win five games, the score is called games-all; and the next game won by either player is scored advantage-game for that player. If the same player win the next game, he wins the set; if he lose the next game, the score is again called games-all; and so on until either player win the two games immediately following the score of games-all, when he wins the set.
Note.—Players may agree not to play advantage-sets, but to decide the set by one game after arriving at the score of games-all.
23.—The players shall change sides at the end of every set, but the Umpire, on appeal from either party, before the toss for choice, shall direct the players to change sides at the end of the first, third, and every subsequent alternate game of each set, provided that in such event the players shall not change sides at the end of a set if the number of games in such set be even; but if the appeal be made after a match has been begun, the Umpire shall only direct the players to change sides at the end of the first, third, and every subsequent alternate game of the odd and concluding set.
24.—When a series of sets is played, the player who was Server in the last game of one set, shall be Striker-out in the first game of the next.