Love, 15, 30, 40, deuce. What do all these terms mean and how do they help use understand the game of tennis. Scoring tennis is difficult and confusing to anyone who does not understand exactly how the game works. However, once you know how to play tennis, it is one of the best experiences you have in sports.

The word “love” means zero and if able to get a point, the player moves to 15. After the score for the player is 15, the score becomes 30 when you score another point and then finnally when you get another point the score becomes 40. The next point after 40, if it is not tied at 40 all, is the final point. For instance, 40 – love is referring to the server having zero, while the person trying to return the serve, or “break” the server has 40, so they are one point away from the win. 40 – love is also referred to as triple break point because the server must win three points in a row to stay in the game. If the server is able to get 3 points in a row, the game goes to “deuce”. When the score reaches deuce, the server has to win two points in a row to get a match. If the server gets the first point, the score becomes advantage in, meaning the server has the upper hand. If the defender gets the first point, the score becomes advantage out. If the server gets the first point but the defender gets the second point, the score is back to deuce and the process starts all over again.

“To win a match, you must win two out of three sets, which consist of six games, and you must win by two games” said freshman tennis player Kathryn Williams. “If each team wins six games, then you have to play a tiebreaker game, where you serve two times, and first to seven wins. You must win this by two as well.”

“If you are a doubles player, make sure you talk to your teammate. Having fun is one of the best parts of tennis,” said Williams. “Anyone can play tennis no matter your age, and it is a great way to exercise.”

As professional Australian Tennis player Samantha Stosur says, “Tennis takes care of everything. It requires agility and quickness to get to the ball, core strength to get power into your shots and stamina to last for an entire match. In addition to toning your arms and shoulders, it’s a total workout for your legs and abs, and works your heart and core unlike any other sport.”