For anyone who has to rediscover the game every summer, here's a brief list of terms that should help you get to grips with it. We'll be adding to it each day, just to ease you in gently.
SERVES AND TRICK SHOTS
Buggy whip - A forehand hit with a follow-through that goes from low to high and finishes on the same side.
Chop - A shot with extreme underspin.
Hail Mary - An extremely high lob, for defensive purposes
Hot dog - A play in which a player chases back to retrieve a lob and then hits the ball between his legs with his back to the net.
Kick serve - A type of spin serve that bounces high.
Twist serve - A serve hit with a combination of slice and topspin which results in a curving trajectory and high bounce.
SHOTS AND STROKES
Groundstroke - A forehand or backhand shot that is executed after the ball bounces once on the court.
Lob - A stroke where the ball is hit high above the net. An offensive lob is to win the point outright. A defensive lob, gives to recover and get in position.
Passing shot - A shot that passes by or across the opponent at the net.
Topspin - Spin of a ball where the top of the ball rotates forward over the top of the ball, causing the ball to dip and bounce at a higher angle.
LAWS AND RULES
Final set - The last possible set of a match. The fifth set in the Men's singles and the third set in the Ladies'.
Tiebreak - played at 6–6 to decide the winner of a set; the winner is the first to reach at least seven, with a lead of two points. There is no tiebreak in a final set.
Challenge - an official review of a line call - only available on courts with HawkEye technology. Each player is allowed to make three Challenges per set.
COURTLINES AND SCORELINES
Baseline - The line at the farthest ends of the court, from behind which big-hitters like Rafa Nadal and, if you're old-school, Andre Agassi, like to play most of the game.
Tramlines - The lines defining the limit of play on the side of a singles or doubles court.
Bagel - A slang word to describe a set won 6-0. The term can be applied as a double bagel or even triple bagel if a match is won 6-0 6-0 6-0.
Breadstick - Jargon for winning (or losing) a set 6–1, with the straight shape of the "1" supposedly being reminiscent of the straight shape of a breadstick.
