How to Keep Score in Tennis
If you are just starting to learn how to play tennis, you may easily get confused on how players and sports officials keep score and determine outcomes of matches. Don’t fret. Once you begin playing regularly, the rules and scoring will be easier to grasp and master. Here are a few important things you must remember:
Note which player is serving.
If player A is serving, then his score is always announced first. If both players have not scored yet then the score is called ‘love’. Once player A scores, the first point is 15 and is announced accordingly as 15-love. Score the next one and you’ll get 30 while the third point is 40. To win the game, you need the fourth and final point.
Take note on who makes the first point. For instance, if player A is the server, he loses the point right away if he double-faults or fails to hit the ball over the net, or in the service square after two tries. Player B meanwhile may also lose a point if he hits the ball to the net, he misses it or if the ball flies out of bounds.
Gain the advantage.
If a player has a two-point lead, then he wins the game when the fourth point is recorded. If and when the game is tied after the third point, then the game is called a ‘deuce’. If a player gains an advantage, he is said to have the ad. The opponent can either catch up or lose at this point. Once the game is said to be a ‘deuce’, you need two straight points to seal the game. If the player with the ad fails to score the next point, the score reverts to a deuce or 40-all
Game, set, match.
Tennis matches are usually played in six sets, consisting of six games each. The key is in winning the game and collecting enough to win the set and eventually the match.