Doubles tennis: you don't see it much on television, but it's definitely a common occurrence. During every televised tournament, doubles matches are played—perhaps without you even realizing it—and chances are good that you regularly play doubles yourself. At the regularly held tournaments, anyone with a membership in the Dutch Tennis Association (KNLTB) can register to compete with their favorite partner and try to win the coveted prize at the end of the tournament. But what are the rules of doubles tennis? What's the setup for doubles tennis, and is there a specific tactic for tennis doubles? Sjeng Sports explains it all!
What exactly is doubles in tennis?
Tennis has multiple disciplines. Matches are played in singles (one-on-one), but also in doubles . In this article, we'll focus on doubles, where two players play against two others. Doubles also has different disciplines: men's doubles (two men against two men), women's doubles (two women against two women), and mixed doubles (men/women against men/women). In doubles, the entire tennis court is used—including the tram rails—and serving is done alternately. Player 1 of team A serves first, then player 1 of team B, then player 2 of team A, and then player 2 of team B finishes the line. Once all four players have had a turn to serve, the line starts again in the same order.
The scoring in doubles is the same as in singles: 0, 15, 30, 40, game . The first duo to win six games wins a set. However, you only win a set if you have at least two games more than your opponent. If the score is 6-6 in games, a tiebreak follows. The scoring is slightly different in this case: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. The first player to score seven points in the tiebreak wins the tiebreak and therefore the set. Note: even in a tiebreak, you must have at least two points more than your opponent. So, if you and your doubles partner are leading 7-6, you still need to score one more point to win the tiebreak, and the game continues until you have eight points won.
Tennis doubles line-up
When playing tennis solo, it's obviously important to position yourself correctly to receive or hit a ball, but your positioning in doubles tennis is just as important. How do you position yourself so that you and your partner can score points as easily as possible? When it's your team's turn to serve, the server stands behind the baseline and serves the ball into the appropriate box on the opposite side of the net. When the server serves from the right side, the teammate on the left side of the court positions himself at the net to block or smash the balls.
If your team doesn't need to serve, the receiver stands at the baseline to ensure the best possible return, while their partner (player Y) stands on the service line to ensure the ball is in or out. Player Y then advances to the net, ready to smash or volley the balls during the rally, easily scoring points.
Tennis doubles tactics
Naturally, there are different tactics that can be used in tennis doubles. For one pair, tactic A works better, while for another, tactics B, C, or D yield more points. With practice, you'll naturally discover which tactic works best for you and your partner to achieve good results. One tactic, for example, could be to frequently approach the net together with your doubles partner and then skillfully finish the ball. Keep in mind that both you and your partner need to be able to play good volleys, otherwise it will make things easier for your opponent. Another tactic could be to play balls down the middle to confuse your opponent about who should return the ball. Of course, in that situation, you need to prevent your opponent from easily finishing the ball at the net. Looking for more tennis doubles tactics? Then ask your coach during your tennis lesson which tactic works best for you and definitely use it often!
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