Top-seeded Spaniard David Ferrer (pictured) experienced a China Open debut to forget on Thursday. The Tennis Masters Cup hopeful, who started the week at No. 6 in the ATP 2008 Race to Shanghai, lost his opening round match against World No. 95 Dudi Sela of Israel 6-3, 6-3 in 70 minutes. It was the pair’s first meeting.

Sela first beat a Top 10 player on Davis Cup duty for Israel a

The rules of tennis are quite simple. The game itself is complex. "

Rule 1. Opponents stand on opposite sides of the court. The player who delivers the ball to start the point is called the server. The player who stands opposite and cross-court from the server is the receiver.

Rule 2. The right to serve, receive, choose your side, or give the opponent the

The following rules of etiquette are mostly common courtesy, and should be followed whether you’re playing tennis at the country club or at public courts. Most of us know the right thing to do, we just need a gentle reminder every now and then.

Show respect and courtesy
To your opponent(s), your partner, and others on or near the courts. Keep your voice down and

There is a lot more to tennis strings than meets the eye. After all, many people, when looking at a tennis racquet, see only the frame – and the frame is what these people spend most of their focus and money on. They might spend hours, days, weeks, months finding the perfect frame, and then neglect spending that much time picking out the right tennis strings and the r

Does the Shoe Fit ?Tennis is all about balance. You have to maintain good balance when you swing. You have to strike a balance between power and control on your shots. Few people, however, think enough about the balance that has to exist between their feet and their shoes.

The truth is, it’s critical that your footwear be properly matched to the anatomy of your fe