You’ve almost certainly seen the coin toss to determine who serves first if you’ve been watching a competitive tennis match from the beginning. You might be tempted to believe that this is a simple response. You might be shocked to learn that the toss winner doesn’t have to serve first all of the time; instead, they have three options. In tennis, who serves first?
There are three options for the coin toss winner. They can choose who serves first, whose side they want to begin on (in which case the opponent serves first), or they can wait for their opponent to serve. We’ll look at how the coin toss works and what options players have in this article (and why they might choose each option). Then we’ll see how to throw a coin with your tennis racquet to have some fun.
1: How to Decide Who Serves First and How the Coin Toss Is Conducted?
A coin toss is used to determine who serves first and which end of the court they will begin on at the start of the match. It is not always necessary for the coin toss winner to serve first (although they do often choose this option). They have the option of selecting one of the alternatives below.
Is it better to be the first to serve or the first to receive? The toss winner gets to select whether they want to serve or receive first. Receiving first is based on the assumption that your opponent isn’t fully prepared or frightened, allowing you to break their serve in the first game. If the weather is unusually windy or bright, the players may choose to begin the game on a smaller scale.
Read More Top 10 Best Tennis Rackets for Women
Postpone the decision: The fourth alternative, which is rarely used, is to postpone the judgment to the opponent. I’ll explain why a player would choose this option in a moment. Following the selection of the toss winner, their opponent chooses the alternative that they did not choose. As a result, if a player chooses to take the first turn, their opponent determines the outcome.
If the winner of the toss chooses a specific end for the match to begin, their opponent chooses who serves first. A player may gain from deferring a decision because it permits them to have the final say. If they want their first service game to arrive from a specific end, they have no choice but to pass the buck.
For example, if they wait for their opponent to determine who serves first, they can serve on the wing they don’t want to serve on. According to what I’ve seen in competitive events, a player normally chooses to serve or return first. When it’s particularly windy or sunny, you’ll seldom see them choose which end to start, and you’ll rarely see them delay their decision. You might not have a coin on hand to complete the toss if you’re playing a social or friendly game.
2: Smooth or rough?
The rafter will tie two or four knots at the end of each tennis racket’s string. The knots usually face the same way. You can ask your opponent to call “rough” or “smooth” while you spin the racket. The knot is rough if it is facing up, and smooth if it is facing down.
It will feel both rough and smooth when you run your finger over the edge. Keep in mind that the knots are so small that they’re easy to abuse if you’re playing with someone who doesn’t appreciate sportsmanship.
3: The Racquet’s Endeavor
Another option is to place a logo at the end of the racquet. You can spin your Head racket and call “up” or “down” if you have one. A Wilson tennis racket is very simple to operate. The only choices are “M” or “W.” However, you may find that you need to be creative while using different racquet brands.
4: Following a tiebreak, who gets to serve first?
The player who did not serve first in the tiebreak takes the first serve in the next set. The tiebreak is treated as a distinct game, with the rotation continuing as usual into the following set. I’m not sure why it was determined this way, but it does make it more equitable because both players will get a set in which they serve first and will have the mental edge of remaining ahead if the set is still on serve.
5: Doubles
In doubles, the rules are nearly identical. The winner of the toss has the same three choices as the loser (serve/receive, choose ends, or delay). The serve is then exchanged between each squad and player. If you have a blue team and a red team, with players A and B on each team, the sequence could be a blue team(A), red team(A), blue team(B), and red team(B).
The rotation would then start all over again. Each team is required to change servers. The sides can pick who serves first at the start of each set in doubles. As a result, if your best server served last in the previous set, they can start this one by serving first.
6: Visitors’ Favorite
Some tennis players forgo the rotation and flip when they pay a visit to another on their home court. Instead, they simply shower accolades on the visitor without requiring it. Because those who are at home appear to have a minor advantage in terms of not having to travel to the game, the player can begin the game whenever they choose. This is the most basic tactic, however, it’s only appropriate for casual battles. In competition, no one at any level will endorse this technique.
7: The Serving Order Is Being Sorted
Although it appears to be one of the simplest methods to begin a match, there are other options for getting to the same location. The goal should always be to move things forward and get the game started as quickly as feasible. It may appear paradoxical to spend too much time determining who will serve first.
Don’t let things go on any longer than necessary. After you’ve discovered what works, stick with it. Some people want to be creative every now and again, but not to the point of insulting others. Check it out here: Do you need an overgrip?