Lawn tennis Walter Clopton Wingfield

cover of first edition of book lawn tennis walter clopton wingfield, published in december 1873

in late 1860s wingfield 1 of persons experimenting lawn version of tennis. vulcanised bouncing rubber balls offered opportunity develop indoor game of real tennis , there many had leisure time pursue sport , owned croquet lawns adapted it. precise date wingfield brought public uncertain. lord lansdowne claimed in 1869 major wingfield gave demonstration of game him in garden of berkeley square house, although in year wingfield not major. attribution party held @ nantclwyd hall in denbighshire, wales, although party took place in december. nor wingfield exponent. @ same time, harry gem , augurio perera demonstrating game of pelota in leamington spa.

wingfield patented new , improved court playing ancient game of tennis , began marketing game in spring of 1874 selling boxed sets included rubber balls imported germany net, poles, court markers, rackets , instruction manual. sets available wingfield s agent, french , co. in pimlico in london, , cost between 5 , ten guineas. in version game played on hour-glass shaped court , net higher (4 feet 8 inches). service had made diamond-shaped box @ 1 end , service had bounce beyond service line instead of in front of it. adopted rackets-based system of scoring games consisted of 15 points (called aces ). in order differentiate game, named sphairistikè (which poor greek using feminine adjective meaning pertaining ball game without appropriate noun.) between july 1874 , june 1875 1,050 tennis sets sold, aristocracy.

lawn tennis becoming important adjunct cricket @ marylebone cricket club (mcc) , played @ lord s cricket ground. in 1875 john moyer heathcote instigated meeting @ mcc establish universal set of rules , wingfield invited participate. wingfield s hourglass court , scoring method adopted , wingfield considered sport entrusted mcc. during time suffered personal tragedies including developing mental illness of wife , death of 3 young sons , lost interest in game. in 1877 england lawn tennis , croquet club (aeltc) launched wimbledon championship , prior this, in cooperation mcc representatives, developed new set of rules excluded of wingfield s introductions. wingfield authored 2 tennis works: book of game (1873) , major s game of lawn tennis (1874).