platform tennis, version of lawn tennis played on an elevated wooden or aluminum court that is one fourth the size of a standard court, usually by doubles teams. Unlike lawn tennis, platform tennis allows only one serve, and balls may be played off the 12-ft-high (3.7-m) wire-mesh screen that completely enclose the court. A perforated wooden paddle is used instead of a racquet, and the ball is smaller, solid, and made of sponge rubber. The game was devised in 1928 to provide for winter tennis, the platform being more easily cleared of snow than a regular court.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
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