Istorija tenisa

[Liv]

Veruje se da preteca tenisa datira iz 11 veka. Monasi u Evropi (neki tvrde Francuskoj) su zabave radi izmislili igru “Jeu de paume” u kojoj su udarali lopticu dlanom. Igralo se u dvoristima koja su zatvorena sa sve cetiri strane (obicno je sa jedne strane zid a sa ostalih strana su stubovi) sto je idealan aranzman i za publiku. “Back-and-forth volley” se igrao lopticom od tkanine koja je napunjena kosom ili plutom. Igra je pocinjala uzvikom “tenez!” kojim je server svom protivniku skretao paznju na servis .“Tenez!” znaci “obrati paznju/igraj!”. Iz toga je kasnije proizasao naziv tenis.




Kako su plemici sticali obrazovanje u ovakvim manastirima igra je vremenom dozivela ekspanziju i postala popularna. Prosirila se iz ruralnih predela u gradove, na univerzitete i dvorove koji su konstruisali prostorije za igru, dok je ostalo stanovnistvo izlazilo na ulicu i organizovalo svoja takmicenja. Igra je zapravo postala toliko popularna da su je pariske vlasti, zbog zabrinutosti da se zapostavlja porodica i posao, zabranile svim danima sem nedeljom.

Vremenom je golu ruku zamenila kozna rukavica, a zatim, u 16 veku i reket. Kanap se vezivao po sredini dvorista da oznaci podelu. Velicina terena, zidovi, tribine postali su standardizovani i ova, sad vec zvanicna pravila, objavljena su 1592. u “Royal and Honorable Order of the Jeu de Paume". Tenis se tada igrao u dvoranama i koristili su se zidovi, tj. dozvoljeno je bilo da se loptica odbije o zid. Pravilo izaziva nezadovoljstvo jer igraci smatraju da zidovi mogu da se koriste da bi se njima vratila loptica, tj. moze da se udari pod uglom koji im odgovora sto dovodi do striktnijih pravila i tacnog obelezavanja polja.



U 16. I 17. veku popularnost se sirila dotle da je jedan britanski pisac prokomentarisao da na svaku crkvu u Francuskoj mogu da se dodaju dva terena za “Jeu de Paume”. Ali, vremenom je igra presla i kanal. King Henry VIII je izgradio terene u svoje cetiri palate ne bi li uzivao u ovom sportu. Plemici doduse nisu samo u sportu uzivali, vec i u kladjenju koje je s njim doslo. Zapravo, to je bio sastavni deo ovih dogadjanja. Spekulise se da je bodovni sistem od 15 poena, kakvog ga znamo danas, proizasao iz fiksnog uloga u vrednosti od 15 novcica. Takodje se veruje da je Anne Boleyn, Henrijeva druga zena, upravo teniski mec gledala u Hampton Court palati koja im je bila prebivaliste, kada su dosli da je uhapse po njegovom nalogu, a da je on sam igrao tenis kada su mu javili da je pogubljena.

U isto vreme u Francuskoj, tenis dobija naziv “pravi tenis”¹. François I radi na sirenju sporta promovisuci ga medju stanovnistvom i gradeci terene. Tradiciju nastavlja i njegov naslednik Henry II . Za njegovo vreme je napisana i prva nama poznata knjiga o tenisu “Trattato del Giuoco della Palla”, “studija o igri s loptom” a autor je bio italijanski svestenik Antonio Scaino da Salo. 1571 Charles IX Korporaciji Teniskih Profesionalaca daje ustav i time kreira prvi Pro Tour. Uspostavljena su tri nivoa ucesnika – pripravnik, saradnik i majstor. 1599 tenis je dobio i zvanicna pravila.

U 17 veku tenis se siri na podrucje Spanije, Italije, Holandije i Habzburske Monarhije. Ali u Francuskoj i Engleskoj usled skandala sa namestanjem kladjenja, politickih previranja i sumnji u monarhiju tenis vise nije pozeljan vid zabave. Kao direktna posledica u Engleskoj se radja Squash.

¹ Neki tvrde da se pojam "pravi tenis" javio u Francuskoj a neki da se javio u Engleskoj.
...

[Liv]

Henry Gem i negov prijatelj Augurio Perera se smatraju tvorcem teniske igre kakvu znamo danas. Oni su je zvali “Pelota”, ali i naziv “Lawn tennis” potice iz iste godine -1872. Iste godine osnovali su i prvi teniski klub u svetu, u banji blizu Birminghama, Leamington Spa. Njihov prvi teniski teren u domu Perere (Edgbaston Warwickshire) je bio istih dimenzija kao i danasnji, mreza je bila niza. Prvi klub nije opstao, ali ubrzo nakon zatvaranja osnovan je “Edgbaston Archery and Lawn Tennis Society”, danas najstariji teniski klub na svetu.


Robert Holland as Harry Gem left and Chris Elks as Perera right.

Clanak: From the Birmingham Post 1995

The True Home of Tennis

Krajem 1873, Walter Clopton Wingfield stvara slicnu igru – “sphairistike” (naziv je uzeo iz starogrckog, znaci "skill at playing at ball"). Njegova igra je bila bazirana na francuskoj verziji koja se igrala napolju. Neki istoricari smatraju da iz ovog perioda potice i terminologija koja se koristi u tenisu danas. Wingfield se takodje smatra pionirom igre, svoje mesto za doprinos tenisu je nasao je u “International Tennis Hall of Fame” a njegova bista, kao i oprema koju je koristio se moze videti u “Wimbledon Lawn Tennis“ muzeju. Izdao je dve knjige – “The Book of the Game” i “The Major's Game of Lawn Tennis”

Tenis u Engleskoj staje rame uz rame s kriketom i vec 1877 “the All England Croquet Club” organizuje Wimbledon prethodno definisuci pravila konsultujici Wingfield-a i “Marylebone Cricket Club”.

U Ameriku je tenis stigao preko Mary Ewing Outerbridge koja je na ostrvu Bermuda upoznala Wingfield-a. Po povratku u New York napravila je teren u Staten Island kriket klubu. Na tacnoj lokaciji ovog terena se danas nalazi Staten Island Ferry terminal. Prvi turnir se odrzao upravo na tom terenu. U muskom singlu je pehar podigao Englez O.E Woodhouse.

Svaki klub je imao drugacija pravila. Loptica je recimo bila veca na turnirima u Bostonu u odnosu na one New Yorku. 1881 osnovana je US nacionalna teniska asocijacija u cilju standardizovanja pravila i organizacije turnira. U.S. National Men's Singles Championship, sada US Open, prvi put je odrzan 1881 u Newport-u, Rhode Island.

French Open se prvi put odrzao 1891, a Australian Open 1905. Do danasnjeg dana ovu su najveci teniski turniri a ime “Slams” je pozajmnjeno iz igre kartama – bridza.

[alcesta]

Izuzetna priča, nadam se da može na ovu temu:
Tennis & The Titanic

Like many of the R.M.S. Titanic's approximately 2,200 passengers, Americans Karl Howell Behr and Richard Norris Williams II climbed aboard the ill-fated ship in search of their dreams. Behr was chasing love, and Williams striving for an Ivy League education and a successful tennis career.

When the grand, "unsinkable" ship struck an iceberg late on April 14, 1912, the two were among the small, fortunate group of just 700 or so survivors.

After meeting for the first time aboard the rescue ship R.M.S. Carpathia, neither man took their good fortune for granted, and they achieved great success as two of the best players in the history of tennis.

Williams remarkably won the U.S. Nationals Mixed Doubles title just months after the Titanic disaster, and went on to capture several other major titles, and he was honoured for his achievements with Hall of Fame induction in 1957.

Behr, who was already an established player before the ship's voyage, was ranked within the Top 5 in the nation, and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1969.

...
American Richard Norris Williams II had been living in Europe and preparing for a collegiate tennis career at Harvard when he boarded the Titanic with his father. When they felt the collision with the iceberg, they believed there was some trouble but did not imagine the situation to be as dire as it turned out. The pair helped people board lifeboats, and worked out in the gym to pass time and stay warm. When they realized the ship was close to sinking, the men readied themselves to jump in the water. It was, however, too late, and at that moment the four massive funnels came crashing down and one crushed Williams' father.

With no time to mourn his father, Williams jumped into the icy water and clung to a lifeboat for hours in frigid water. After he was saved, Williams realized that he had no feeling in his legs, and when he tried to stand or walk, the pain was unbearable. Doctors aboard Carpathia recommended his legs be amputated. Williams, however, was not willing to give up his dreams for a successful tennis career. To avoid amputation, he spent hours walking the decks to get the feeling back and save his legs.

Williams' perseverance served him well. He went on to play at Harvard, and ultimately achieved a world ranking of No. 4 and a U.S. ranking of No. 1. Remarkably, Williams won the U.S. Nationals Mixed Doubles with Mary Browne just months after the disaster, and later won an Olympic Gold in mixed doubles with Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman. In all, he won a total of six major championships and was a member of five triumphant Davis Cup teams.

In a real life story that could be the basis for a movie, Karl Howell Behr, a dashing, successful businessman and established tennis player claimed it was a business trip to Europe that required him to be on the Titanic's maiden voyage. In reality, he boarded Titanic to follow Helen Newsom, the woman he loved, but whose parents did not approve of him. After the ship struck the iceberg, Helen and her parents were hastily put into one of the first life boats. While the call was for "women and children only," Behr was convinced to climb aboard to help row the boat.

Aside from the survivor's guilt that plagued him all his life, Behr came away unscathed. Once aboard the rescue ship Carpathia, Behr became part of the Survivor Committee, helping to organize and assist the survivors. His role was appreciated by the survivors, and through the catastrophe, he also inadvertently proved himself worthy to Helen's parents; the two were married in March 1913.

Prior to the Titanic disaster, Behr had a thriving tennis career, having been a doubles finalist at Wimbledon and a finalist at the U.S. Nationals, as well as playing on the U.S. Davis Cup. After surviving the ship, he continued to play competitively, achieving a career high ranking of No. 3 in the United States.

Williams' and Behr's first meeting was aboard the Carpathia. Prior to their encounter, Williams was an aspiring tennis player who had closely followed Behr's tennis accomplishments. Two years after the Titanic disaster, in 1914, Williams was en route to his first U.S. National Championship in singles, when he came across a familiar face on the other side of the net at the tournament, which was hosted at the Newport Casino, now home to the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum.

Williams' quarterfinal opponent was Karl Behr, whom he beat in straight sets 6-2, 6-2, 7-5. The men played against each other a few others times in their careers and remained friendly, bound forever by their harrowing experience and their love of the game.

[jabukamen]

Za AO sam siguran da se nekad igrao na travi, a mislim da se nekad davno na istoj podlozi igrao i USO. Moje pitanje glasi: kako to da Borg na RG ima 49:2, a na GS turnirima na sljaci 63:5, odnosno Vilas 56:17 u Parizu, a 73:19 na GS turnirima na sljaci. Gde i kad su odigrali ostale sljakaste GS meceve?

[Milutinov Tata]

Za AO sam siguran da se nekad igrao na travi, a mislim da se nekad davno na istoj podlozi igrao i USO. Moje pitanje glasi: kako to da Borg na RG ima 49:2, a na GS turnirima na sljaci 63:5, odnosno Vilas 56:17 u Parizu, a 73:19 na GS turnirima na sljaci. Gde i kad su odigrali ostale sljakaste GS meceve?

USO se igrao na zelenoj sljaci 3 godine, od 1975 do 1977, na Forest Hilsu. Od 1978. se igra na Flesingu na tvrdoj podlozi. Do 1974. je igran na travi, takodje na Forest Hilsu. AO na travi do 1987, od 1988 na tvrdoj podlozi.

[alcesta]

Nisam znala za ovo.

Before Nishikori, the most successful Japanese male in Grand Slam competition was Jiro Sato. He was born in January 1908 and died tragically at the age of 26, by which time he had played in nine Grand Slam singles events, reaching the semifinals at five of them. He upset defending champion Sidney Wood at Wimbledon in 1932, and the following year he beat Fred Perry at the French Open—a feat that helped him earn accolades as (in the eyes of one expert) the No. 3 player in the world for that year. His story is worth telling, even in abbreviated form.
On April 4, 1934, Sato was aboard the N.Y.K. Hakone Maru crossing the Strait of Malacca en route to Europe for a Davis Cup tie against Australia. It was a trip he didn’t want to make, for he felt exhausted. Sato had hoped to take off the entire year following his exploits of 1933—achievements that had made him a national hero, with all that entailed. But he was ordered to play on without respite by the Japanese Lawn Tennis Federation.
On the day in question, Sato complained of stomach pains and had no appetite. In Singapore, he left the ship in order to be examined by a doctor. Sato was pronounced healthy; if he had a problem, it most likely was psychological. Later that day, the Japanese Davis Cup team was given a banquet hosted by the Japanese counsel to Singapore. Meanwhile, when word of Sato’s puzzling condition reached the JLTA, representatives fired off a cable insisting that Sato and his teammates proceed as planned with the voyage.
At 11:30 p.m. the following evening, Sato was reported missing by his teammate and friend, Jiro Yamagishi. Soon, crew and friends found two suicide notes, one an apology addressed to his teammates, the other an apology to the ship’s captain for causing an “inconvenience.”
Sato’s fiance later insisted that it was the unyielding attitude of the JLTA that led to her beloved’s despair and, ultimately, suicide. Sato feared that in his exhausted state he could bring no further glory to Japan.

http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2014/10/big-japan/52918/#.VC235vmSw9Y

[Gama]

Kakva prica, da ne poveruje covek.