Tennis matches follow a slightly different format than matches in other racket sports. The United States Tennis Association follows all International Tennis Federation rules regarding match format and scoring. Tennis matches have no time limit, and their length can vary widely.
Court
Competitive tennis matches must be played on a regulation court. USTA and ITF rules dictate that tennis courts should run 78 feet long, 27 feet wide for singles matches and 36 feet wide for doubles matches. The net runs across the width of the court, dividing the court into two equal sides. The net measures 3½ feet high at the posts and 3 feet in the center of the court. The court's exterior boundaries include the baselines and sidelines. Service lines run 21 feet behind the net on each side of the court, and center service lines divide the area between the net and the service line into two equal parts.
Match Format
Tennis matches consist of points, games and sets. To win a game, a player must win four points with a two-point margin over her opponent. In tennis, the scoring goes from zero or love to 15, 30, 40 and game. To win a set, a player must win 6 games with at least a two-game margin over his opponent. To win a match, a player must win either the best of three sets or the best of five sets. Individual tournaments must announce whether best of three or five set matches should be played.
Set Formats
USTA and ITF rules allow for two different types of set formats. These formats include the advantage set and the tie-break set. An advantage set cannot end until one player wins with a two-game margin over the other. If two players reach five games each, for example, the set must continue until one player reaches seven games. Advantage sets can go on indefinitely until a player gains a two-game margin of victory. In a tie-break set, a tie-break game breaks a tie between two players who have both reached six games.
Tie-Break Game
To win a tie-break game, a player must win seven points with a two-point margin over her opponent. The scoring in tie-break games uses the numerals 1, 2, 3 and so on rather than 15, 30 or 40.
Order of Serve and Playing Sides
Before the warm-up, players complete a coin toss. The winner of the coin toss can choose to serve or receive first or to start the match at one side of the court. Whichever choice he makes, his opponent gets the other option. After the first game, the players alternate serving for one game each. Players change sides after every odd game and after every six points in a tie-break game. In a tie-break game, the player whose turn it is to serve in the next game serves the first point. His opponent serves the next two points, and then the players alternate serving two points at a time.
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