What’s ‘Love’ Got To Do With It? A Brief History of Tennis’ Strange, Illogical Scoring System

The NFL’s decision to take a week off each year between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl allows us one weekend in late January when we can focus on tennis. This weekend, the first weekend since August with no football (unless you count the Pro Bowl, and I don’t), will see the finals of the Australian Open in Melbourne. Top-ranked Novak Djokovic will play for his fourth Aussie Open title against U.S. Open champion Andy Murray in the men’s draw. Last year’s champion Victoria Azarenka faces Li Na for the women’s title. In men’s doubles the Bryan twins, Bob and Mike, from the United States will play for their 13th Grand Slam title against Robin Haase and Igor Sijsling of the Netherlands. Sports fans who have spent the fall and winter watching games where each score has a set value and where score is kept by adding these values can take a break from reason and enjoy a sport whose means of scorekeeping defies logic. In a game of tennis the first player to score four p...