This glossary is third of the three-part series that is related to tennis.
Ace, advantage, first and second serves, double faults, unforced errors are all the commonly used words in tennis. These words are generally used to explain the type of point in a set or a game. But there are certain terms that are no longer in use or used seldom nowadays. Here are eight such words that you can add in to your knowledge about the game.
1) Five
“Five” is spoken by the chair umpire when a player wins five games in a set. For example a score of 5-4, 7-5 are announced as Five-four, Seven-Five, respectively. But this is not the only time when the chair umpire declares “five.” The first point in a game is called fifteen. But at times, chair umpires while announcing the score tend to say “five” instead of fifteen. A score of 30-15 is sometimes announced as “thirty-five.”
2) Pulp
The word pulp has been used in various contexts. It is used for describing a part of the fruit, a part of the tooth, a type of magazine, a raw material for making paper, etc. This word’s versatility extends furthermore as it finds it place in the tennis dictionary. When the game score reaches 30-30, the score in such a situation is called “pulp.”
3) MOP or Major Opportunity Point
When the score reaches 0-30, it is termed as Major Opportunity Point. This is due to the fact that the receiver is now only two points away from breaking the opponent’s serve and the server is yet to open his account.
4) OP or Opportunity point
When the score is 15-30, it is termed as Opportunity Point. This is because the receiver leads the server by a point and is closer than the server to win the game and subsequently break his serve.
5) Mini Break
Mini break is obtained by the player when he/she wins a point as a receiver and is leading the score. This term is generally used in tiebreaks. In a tiebreak, when the player wins a point as a receiver then he/she is said to be up by a “mini-break.” Occasionally, this term is used in normal service games.
6) Insurance Break
In simple terms, being up by a double break means having in possession, an insurance break. When a player breaks his opponent’s serve, hold his own serve and again breaks the opponent in the following break, then he obtains an “insurance break.”
7) Bisque
Bisque is an antiquated terminology. Before 1890, handicapped players had the choice to claim a point at any part of the set. This point or bisque was proclaimed by a receiver. It is said that this rule was applicable in all other formats of the sport in its early era. The Lawn Tennis Association banned this rule in 1890.
8) Fry
Fry is a term synonymous to breadstick. Both these words are used when the score of the set is 6-1. The shape of the number “1” resembles the shape of the breadstick due to which the term came into effect.
