Real
Tennis as it is called in Britain, Royal Tennis as it is called in
Australia, Court Tennis as it is called in the States, Jeu de Paume
as it is called in France or Tennis as it is properly known, is the
oldest of all the racket games, and unlike most of the others, such
as squash or lawn tennis, it is a product of evolution rather than
pure invention.
The
game started to form into something recognizable in the 11th
century. It started as hand ball, played by monks around the
cloisters of monasteries in Italy and France, much as schoolchildren
do in any appropriate corner of their school, and rules varied to
suit local whims and conditions. Gradually, as monks traveled to
other monasteries, the more enjoyable rules were more generally
adopted, the more bizarre rules abandoned and people started to add
features to their courtyards that improved the pastime, and demolish
or modify others that detracted from it. The monks enjoyed the game
so much that the Pope banned the playing of it, and by the 14th
century the game had spread from cloister to castle and become a
game of the nobility.
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2004 winners of the
Australian Open |
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Roger Federer takes title
Roger Federer's effort to win the Australian Open 2004
final against Marat Safin may not havebeen his
prettiest, but was easily one of his sweetest.
New world number one Roger Federer comprehensively
outplayed Marat Safin to win the Australian Open.
Federer displayed the kind of breathtaking form which
took him to the Wimbledon title last July in
acommanding 7-6 6-4 6-2 win over Safin.
What a great start to the year," said Federer, who
became world number one with his semi-final win over
Juan Carlos Ferrero.
"To win the Australian Open and become number one in
the world is a dream come true.
After two hours and 15 minutes, 22 year old Roger
Federer seized a double break in the third set to
take a 4-1 lead to beat an exasperated Marat Safin. |
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Henin takes Australian crown
Justine Henin-Hardenne took her first Australian Open
title with a dramatic 6-3 4-6 6-3 win over Kim
Clijsters.
But Clijsters fought back to level the match, after
falling 0-4 down. Henin-Hardenne found her form at the
right time and for the third time to deny Clijsters a
first major title. The turning point for Clijsters
came at 3-4 in the deciding set.
The 20- year-old twice had game
point, but each time delivered a nervy double fault.
Henin-Hardenne forced a break point which Clijsters
looked to have saved with a powerful drive volley on
to the baseline. As Clijsters and the crowd
celebrated, the umpire called the ball out and
Clijsters could not recover.
Serving for the match, Henin-Hardenne held her nerve
and after clinching the win, dropped to her knees to
celebrate.
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