Tennis

Tennis, probably the most ancient of surviving ball-games, is supposed to have been invented in Italy dnring the Mlddle Ages, and, after various improvements in France, to have been introduced from the latter country into England, where it had become popular in the days of Chaucer. The rules are very elaborate, the essential feature being that a ball is struck with a racket against one of the walls of a court, so as to rebound on the other side of a net, whence it is returned by the original player's ("server's") opponent, or one of his opponents, if there are more than two players. The ball is thus driven backwards and forwards repeatedly. The scoring is regulated by success or failure in so returning the ball that it falls into a "winning hazard" or does not fall into the net or "out of court." There are also intricate rules as to "chases," which arise when a ball is allowed to touch the ground a second time. Lawn Tennis, an adaptation of the original game which has become very popular, is said to have been invented by Major Wingfield in 1874.