Love Means Nothing in Tennis, But Why?
Tennis historians have found absolutely no authoritative source on why zero is referred to as “Love” in tennis and the term is one of the many great mysteries of the game.
Barely Legal Equipment
The ITF list of conforming items is equipment that has been formally challenged on some basis. I find it interesting to look at this equipment to see if I can figure out the reason why a challenge was warranted.
The Joy of Non-Conformance
I have been enjoying a fun diversion of reading about equipment that appears on the ITF Non-Confirming Equipment list. I think I would like to get my hands on some of these items and see if they really produced a material difference in play to the point of threatening the traditional skills required to play the game of tennis.
The Tradition of Racquet Conformance
The ITF is the arbiter of compliance to the Rules of Tennis for racquet and racquet technology. The ITF “Product Conformity” pamphlet for this aspect of the game indicates that the interpretation is performed in a manner that preserves the “traditional character of tennis” as well as the skills traditionally required to play the game. Tennis is a game based largely on tradition.
One Racquet at a Time, No Batteries Required
After railing on the ITF for excessive wordiness in the racquet specifications, I am immediately confronted with a one word answer to a case ruling. Well played, ITF. Well played.
The Racquet as a Weapon
I am relieved to discover that there is nothing specifically in the rules prohibiting one from using the tennis racquet in order to liberate a burger.
All Strung Out
An ITF Case ruling indicates that if a player accidentally breaks a string that he can continue to play with the racquet unless doing so was specifically prohibited by event organizers. This begs the obvious question why does it have to be accidentally?
The Anatomy of the Racquet
The fact that the Friend at Court actually attempts to constrain the hitting surface of the racquet falls in the “isn’t that cute” department for me.
Racquet Metrics
How the racquet might be a tiny ITF rebellion against one of the stipulations imposed when they assumed stewardship of “The Rules of Tennis.”
Material Changes to the Ball
Today we come to the first of two places in the Friend at Court where material changes to the ball are covered. May a player cause a ball to become wet by using the ball to wipe perspiration from the player’s body?