Balancing the use of first and second serves

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Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/51126

Title: Balancing the use of first and second serves
Author(s): Pollard, Geoff
Abstract: Originally the service in tennis was designed to start a rally and the server was given two opportunities, a first and second service, to put the ball into play. Gradually the service became stronger and more powerful and aided with modern powerful rackets many serves are aces or unplayable serves. This has lead to many sets in men’s tennis, especially men’s doubles, simply “going-with-service” until resolved by a tie-break. Although the set is close, service is generally held throughout by both players and the only real interest is in the tiebreak. Rather than limit the power of rackets, which could be legally challenging, this paper considers an alternative of balancing the use of first and second serves that still maintains an advantage for the server, but less than that currently enjoyed. This would make the game more exciting.
Publication type: Journal article
Research centre: Swinburne University of Technology
Source: Medicine and Science in Tennis, Vol. 13, no. 1 (Feb 2008), pp. 30-33
Publication year: 2008
Keyword(s): Service; Serving; Tennis
Publisher: Society for Tennis Medicine and Science
ISSN: 1567-2352
Publisher URL: http://www.stms.nl/