Tennis trivia question

Verbal · Post by **Verbal** » Tue Nov 10, 2009 4:57 pm

Theoretically, and assuming no walkovers/crippling injuries, what is the least number of shots (this includes serving) a player can make for them to win a grand slam event?

CAPSLOCK · Post by **CAPSLOCK** » Tue Nov 10, 2009 5:00 pm

One match?

Male or female?

By my reckoning, a 5 set match is 36 shots

And I think its 7 matches at Wimbledon

So, 252?

Verbal · Post by **Verbal** » Tue Nov 10, 2009 5:02 pm

As I said caps, minimum, so whatever that applies to best

And 252 is correct for the mens, though isn't the answer I'm looking for.

CAPSLOCK · Post by **CAPSLOCK** » Tue Nov 10, 2009 5:08 pm

168 then?

Verbal · Post by **Verbal** » Tue Nov 10, 2009 5:09 pm

nope

Worthy4England · Post by **Worthy4England** » Tue Nov 10, 2009 5:29 pm

I'll go for 84...

Verbal · Post by **Verbal** » Tue Nov 10, 2009 5:32 pm

nope...

Worthy4England · Post by **Worthy4England** » Tue Nov 10, 2009 5:37 pm

Verbal wrote:nope...

Oops forgot - 56...?

Verbal · Post by **Verbal** » Tue Nov 10, 2009 5:39 pm

nope...though I went through pretty much the exact same train of thought.

Lord Kangana · Post by **Lord Kangana** » Tue Nov 10, 2009 5:54 pm

Is this a trick, like if I shot all the other entrants with a twelve bore I'd win by default? Now this gets complicated, cos you can off more than one person with a good shot....

Am I close?

Puskas · Post by **Puskas** » Tue Nov 10, 2009 6:12 pm

It's got to involve missing most of your serves, hence gifting the points to your opponent, but them doing something similar. Hence you each win the other's game, without making a shot.
It then comes down to the minimum number of shots you need to win a set - presumably 2 to win the tie break. So that's 4 to win a 3 set match (7-6,7-6). Times 7 for the rounds, and you have 28.

Is that right?

wovlad · Post by **wovlad** » Tue Nov 10, 2009 9:37 pm

Nil shots because of a combination of byes, walkovers, coin toss & forfits.

malcd1 · Post by **malcd1** » Tue Nov 10, 2009 10:14 pm

I can't be bothered to work it out but you haven't said anything about a singles match or if it is the amount of shots just one player hits the ball not all players. If it is a doubles match will a player hit the ball half the amount of times.

As in 6-0, 6-0, 6-0.

Hoboh · Post by **Hoboh** » Tue Nov 10, 2009 10:17 pm

Di Stefano · Post by **Di Stefano** » Tue Nov 10, 2009 10:25 pm

Puskas wrote:It's got to involve missing most of your serves, hence gifting the points to your opponent, but them doing something similar. Hence you each win the other's game, without making a shot.
It then comes down to the minimum number of shots you need to win a set - presumably 2 to win the tie break. So that's 4 to win a 3 set match (7-6,7-6). Times 7 for the rounds, and you have 28.

Is that right?

That depends who was serving first. Serve changes round at the end of each set if they all go to a tie break so some sets you'd have to win 2 points, others just the one.

Anyhow, the answer's 0. Doubles, and you're playing with somebody really good who wins all the points for the pair, and the opponents double fault at you all the time. And you miss the ball each time you throw it in the air.

Verbal · Post by **Verbal** » Wed Nov 11, 2009 3:56 am

Di Stefano wrote:
Puskas wrote:It's got to involve missing most of your serves, hence gifting the points to your opponent, but them doing something similar. Hence you each win the other's game, without making a shot.
It then comes down to the minimum number of shots you need to win a set - presumably 2 to win the tie break. So that's 4 to win a 3 set match (7-6,7-6). Times 7 for the rounds, and you have 28.

Is that right?
That depends who was serving first. Serve changes round at the end of each set if they all go to a tie break so some sets you'd have to win 2 points, others just the one.

Anyhow, the answer's 0. Doubles, and you're playing with somebody really good who wins all the points for the pair, and the opponents double fault at you all the time. And you miss the ball each time you throw it in the air.

winner.

Worthy4England · Post by **Worthy4England** » Wed Nov 11, 2009 7:45 am

Verbal wrote:
Di Stefano wrote:
Puskas wrote:It's got to involve missing most of your serves, hence gifting the points to your opponent, but them doing something similar. Hence you each win the other's game, without making a shot.
It then comes down to the minimum number of shots you need to win a set - presumably 2 to win the tie break. So that's 4 to win a 3 set match (7-6,7-6). Times 7 for the rounds, and you have 28.

Is that right?
That depends who was serving first. Serve changes round at the end of each set if they all go to a tie break so some sets you'd have to win 2 points, others just the one.

Anyhow, the answer's 0. Doubles, and you're playing with somebody really good who wins all the points for the pair, and the opponents double fault at you all the time. And you miss the ball each time you throw it in the air.
winner.

Figured we'd be heading towards "none" somehow. How many times on your serve can you throw the ball in the air before the Umpire calls some sort of foul? If you kept missing it, then wouldn't there be some sort of disqualification that kicked in before the end of the match - we're talking Grand Slam here....

CAPSLOCK · Post by **CAPSLOCK** » Wed Nov 11, 2009 8:42 am

If you miss the ball, it isn't a fault

Puskas · Post by **Puskas** » Wed Nov 11, 2009 8:53 am

CAPSLOCK wrote:If you miss the ball, it isn't a fault

I beg to differ (well, I don't beg, I just will) - I googled this last night, in search of answer. And according to
http://www.itftennis.com/abouttheitf/ru ... /rules.asp
(who you would expect to know these things), "16. The service....The server shall then release the ball by hand in any direction and hit the ball with the racket before the ball hits the ground. The service motion is completed at the moment the players racket hits or misses the ball"
And then, "19. Service fault. The service is a fault if a) The server breaks rules 16, 17 or 18".

Missing the ball breaks rule 16. Hence is a service fault.

CAPSLOCK · Post by **CAPSLOCK** » Wed Nov 11, 2009 9:01 am

Fair enough

I was actually open to contradiction by way of it being called a foot fault.......

I'd still argue the answer though, as the question says 'shots'

If you try to hit the ball, you've played a shot

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