Drawing Service Lines in the Sand

Drawing Service Lines in the Sand

Nicole Melch hits the ball over the 5-foot-10 net used in beach tennis during the Women's Pro Finals in Long Beach, N.Y

LONG BEACH, N.Y. — Put him on any other tennis court, clay, grass or hard, and Paul Whitesell would not draw a second look: racket in hand, cap turned backward, synthetic T-shirt, long white socks, pale sneakers.

The only difference is that his shoes are full of sand. Whitesell is a professional beach tennis player.

Ever since he caught his first glimpse of the sport in 2005 at Beach Tennis USA’s inaugural event in Charleston, S.C., Whitesell has been hooked. Like many players who flirted with tennis’s big time, he found in the beach game a way to stay competitive long after his playing career had been hamstrung by injuries.

“I can still play at a high level and not beat up my body as much,” said Whitesell, who recently won the beach tennis national title here with his playing partner, Chris Henderson. “This has been my saving grace.”

The sport is played by two-person teams on a space similar to a beach volleyball court with a 5-foot-10-inch-high net. It preserves most of the rules of tennis with a few modifications for sand and speed. For instance, there is no second serve, no advantage scoring, and a match consists of a single eight-game set.