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Tennis Terminology | M - N - O

M

Match

A tennis contest made up of sets, as a set is made up of games. In major competition, a men's match is made up of five sets and the winner is the player who first wins three sets. Women usually play best-of-three matches.

Match point

A point that will end the match if it is won by the leading player or side. See also set point; game point.

Midcourt

The area of the court in the vicinity of the service line.

Mini-break

Loss of a point on service during a tie-breaker.

Mixed doubles

Doubles competition in which each team is made up of one female and one male player.

N

Net

The barrier that divides a tennis court into lengthwise halves. It's a web, usually made of braided synthetic material, suspended from a steel cable that's strung between two 3½-foot metal posts located 3 feet outside the sidelines. The cable is covered by a band of canvas or synthetic material, 2 to 2 1/2 inches wide. A 2-inch wide center strap, also made of canvas or synthetic material, holds the net taut at the center. As a verb, "to net" means to hit the ball into the net.

Net Cord

The cable that supports the net.

Net Cord Judge

An official who is responsible for calling lets on service. This judge sits in front of the umpire's chair, at one end of the net, and rests one hand on top of the net in order to feel vibrations set up if the ball hits the net cord. Also called net judge. See let.

Net game

A playing style in which the player takes every opportunity to rush the net. To be contrasted with baseline game.

Net man

In doubles, the partner who is stationed near the net during his or her partner's service.

No-man's land

The area between the baseline and the service line, so called because a player who is caught there finds it difficult to hit ground strokes and isn't close enough to the net to hit slams.

Not up

Said of a ball that is hit just as it's bouncing for the second time. Results in loss of point.

O

Offensive lob

A lob that is an attempt to score, rather than being purely defensive. It's typically hit very deep into the opponent's court when the opponent is at the net. See also defensive lob.

Offensive volley

A volley, usually hit from above the net, that's meant to score a point. See also defensive volley.

Open tournament

In the early days of tennis, clubs held two types of tournaments: Closed, to which only club members were admitted, and open, which non-members could also enter. With the advent of professionalism, "open" came to mean a tournament that could be entered by amateurs and professionals alike. Today, all major tournaments are opens.

Open grip

A grip in which the racket face is tilted upward, away from the court.

Open racket

A racket held with an open grip.

Out

Descriptive of a shot that lands outside the playing area, wide and/or long.

Overhead

A shot hit much like a serve, when the ball is above the player's head, usually a smash. It's often used by a player at net or in the forecourt against a lob that hasn't been hit deep enough.

Overspin

Topspin.