WHILE Wimbledon wraps up for the year, what better time to look at pictures of when we enjoyed playing tennis in the 1970s.
The game many of us know and love originated in Birmingham in the late 19th century.
Tennis - or lawn tennis - has changed little since the 1890s. The only two major changes were that from 1908 to 1961 the server had to keep one foot on the ground at all times, and the addition of tiebreaks in the 1970s.
As sports technology got better and better, it was incorporated into tennis. Players can now contest the line call which is then checked with a computer system named Hawk Eye.
It’s thought the sport originated in the 12th century in Northern France. No racket was used back then, but the palm of the hand. Jeu de paume - which translates to game of the palm - eventually evolved into lawn tennis.
Many Hampshire residents love or have loved playing tennis in Hampshire, including those pictured here in the 1970s.
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