or thousands of years man has been fascinated with balls. It is easy to imagine cavemen hitting round stones with sticks for amusement. The Egyptians, Romans and then Christian Monks played games which involved hitting a small ball with a stick, which eventually became a bat, and then a racquet.
   From these humble beginnings the game of lawn tennis evolved. From its official 'invention' in Britain in the early 1870's, the game of lawn tennis has spread to become one of the most widespread and popular games in the world.
   Today tennis is played in every continent of the world by tens of millions of people. It is estimated there are over 60 million tennis players in the USA alone. In the past decade a massive revival of the game has taken place, enticing a whole new generation of young players particularly in South America, Europe, India and China. The game has now grown to become a multi-billion dollar industry.

This beautifully illustrated book details the history of tennis, how it is played, its rules, regulations and controversies. It also contains fascinating in-depth biographies of many of the most famous tennis players in the world, documenting their triumphs, tragedies and personal traumas. It is a must for all tennis enthusiasts!
   Welcome to the wonderful world of tennis!

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