Amigos finishing up some matches (left to right): Tom Reed, Ed Elliot, Peter Chimicles, Dale Taylor, Gael DeRouin, Jim Meyer, and Charlie Reinert (missing Dennis Whitley).
Donna Gillen
It’s still summer here in PebbleCreek as I write this article, and things are just starting to return to normal. Those who were fortunate enough to leave for the summer have actually missed out on some beautiful summer weather here in the Valley and the return of healthy monsoons. It’s a very welcomed change of pace from normal Arizona weather.
The Tennis Club will soon be starting regular activities again, including team practice and social events. Date Night, hosted by Jerry and Jill Santy, will be posted soon; check the website for information. Please visit the Tuscany Tennis Hut for up-to-date information, or visit the PebbleCreek Tennis Club website for all club activities, including court times as well as contact information for these group activities.
In the meantime, let me give both the neophyte and advanced tennis players some quirky and informative information on the history of tennis up to today. All this information has been discovered on the internet, giving credit where credit is due.
Tennis, believe it or not, originated in northern France in the 12th century at a monastery. At that time, the palm of the hand was used instead of a racket. Rackets came around in the 16th century. I’m hoping that the balls were soft during the time of the palm. The oldest tournament, Wimbledon, started in 1877 on the newly formed court. Prior to that, tennis courts were hourglass shaped. The game was introduced to the Olympics in 1896.
Some of you may wonder why there are two spellings for racket. The correct spelling for tennis is “racket.” For squash and racquetball, it is “racquet.” Though they are used interchangeably, the proper spelling is racket.
We do not check the speed of the serves here; however, Sam Groth of Australia recorded a 163.69 mph serve, the fastest ever. Sabine Lisicki has the fastest recorded serve for a female at 130.48 mph.
I cannot imagine playing tennis in a long bulky dress, but that was the original uniform for a woman many years ago. The men were required to wear long pants (and not the stretchy long pants we have today). Tennis must have been a much slower game and required much calculation; if not, I am sure there would be a lot of broken body parts.
As we start to ramp up our game this fall, be thankful that we weren’t playing years ago when the game was slower, encumbered, and “jeu de paume.”