Scoring

A tennis match usually comprises one to five sets. A set consists of a
number of games, and games, in turn, consist of points.

A game consists of a sequence of points played with
the same player serving, and is won by the first player to have won at least
four points and at least two points more than his opponent. The running score of
each game is described in a manner particular to tennis: scores of zero to three
points are described as "love" (or zero), "fifteen,"
"thirty," and "forty" respectively. When at least three points
have been scored by each side and the players have the same number of points,
the score is "deuce." When at least three points have been scored by each
side and a player has one more point than his opponent, the score of the game is
"advantage" for the player in the lead. During informal games,
"advantage" can also be called "ad in" or "ad out", depending on whether the
serving player or receiving player, respectively, is ahead.

A game point occurs in tennis whenever the player who is in the lead
in the game needs only one more point to win the game. The terminology is
extended to sets (set point), matches (match point), and even championships
(championship point). For example, if the player who is serving has a score of
40-love, he has a triple game point (triple set point, etc.).

A break point occurs if the receiver, not the server, has a game
point. It is of importance in professional tennis, since service
breaks happen less frequently with professional players. It may happen that
the player who is in the lead in the game has more than one chance to score the
winning point, even if his opponent should take the next point(s). For example,
if the player who is serving has a score of 15-40, the receiver has a double
break point. Should the player in the lead take any one of the next two points,
he wins the game.

A set consists
of a sequence of games played with service alternating between games, ending
when the count of games won meets certain criteria. Typically, a player wins a
set when he wins at least six games and at least two games more than his
opponent. When each player has won six games a tiebreaker
is played. A tiebreaker, played under a separate set of rules, allows one player
to win one more game and thus the set, to give a final set score of 7-6. Only in
the final sets of matches at the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon,
Davis Cup, and Fed Cup are tie-breaks not played.

Matches consist of an odd number of sets, the match winner being the player who wins
more than half of the sets. The match ends as soon as this winning condition is
met. Some matches may consist of five sets (the winner being the first to win
three sets), while most matches are three sets (the winner being the first to
win two sets).

Rules variations

• No-ad: The first player or doubles team to four points wins the
  game. One side does not have to win by two points. When the game score reaches
  deuce, the receiving player has the option to choose on which side of court
  they want to receive for the final game-deciding point.
  
• Pro set: Instead of playing multiple sets, players may play one
  "pro set". A pro set is first to 8 (or 10) games by a margin of two games,
  instead of first to 6. A 12-point tiebreaker is usually played when the score
  is 8-8 (or 10-10). These are often played with no-ad scoring.
  
• Super tie-break: This is sometimes played instead of a third set.
  This is played like a regular tie-break, but the winner must win ten points
  instead of seven. Super tie-breaks are used on the ATP
  and WTA tours for doubles.

Another, however informal, tennis format is called "Canadian doubles". This
involves three players, with one person playing against a doubles team. The
single player gets to utilize the alleys normally reserved only for a doubles
team. Conversely, the doubles team does *not* use the alleys when executing a
shot. The scoring is the same as a regular game. This format is not sanctioned
by any official body and is only played when a fourth player is not available
for normal doubles.

Wheelchair tennis can be played by able-bodied players as well as people who require a wheelchair for mobility. An extra bounce is permitted. This rule makes it possible to have
mixed wheelchair and able-bodied matches. It is possible for a doubles team to
consist of a wheelchair player and an able-bodied player (referred to as
"one-up, one-down"), or for a wheelchair player to play against an able-bodied
player. In such cases, the extra bounce is permitted for the wheelchair users
only.

Types of courts

There are three main types of court surface. Depending on the materials used,
each surface provides a difference in the speed and bounce of the ball, which in
turn can affect the level of play of individual players. The three most common
surfaces are:

• Clay - red clay (used at the French Open), green clay
  (an example of which is Har-Tru and used mainly in the U.S.)
  
• Hard - examples are cement, Rebound Ace (used at the Australian Open), coated asphalt (used at the U.S. Open)
  
• Grass court - used at Wimbledon

Indoor courts are also used so play can continue year-round. Common indoor surfaces are hard, carpet, and clay.