To play a standard game of tennis, which one of the following pieces of equipment is essential for a player?

Introduction / Context:

Tennis is a popular racket sport played worldwide, and basic questions about the equipment required for different sports often appear in general knowledge exams, especially at school and foundation levels. This question asks you to identify which item is essential for playing tennis, as opposed to items used in other sports or activities.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The sport being discussed is standard lawn or hard court tennis.
• We are focusing on the equipment a player must have to play the game.
• Options include a helmet, a racket, flippers, a basket and a cricket bat.
• We assume the player will share courts and balls typical for tennis, so the key personal equipment is the focus.

Concept / Approach:

Tennis is a racket sport where each player uses a racket to hit a felt covered ball over a net into the opponent's court. While other protective or support items may sometimes be used, the racket is the essential tool without which the game cannot be played properly. Helmets are used in sports like cricket or hockey, flippers in swimming and diving, baskets are unrelated to tennis as playing equipment, and cricket bats are specific to cricket. Therefore, the only essential item for tennis among the options is a racket.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:

Official tennis rules and equipment guidelines mention the court, net, tennis balls and tennis rackets as fundamental elements of the game. No mention is made of helmets, flippers, baskets or cricket bats in standard tennis equipment lists. Observing any professional or amateur tennis match confirms that every player uses a racket, while the other items are completely absent, verifying that the racket is the essential piece of equipment here.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Option A (A helmet): Helmets are used in cricket, hockey, baseball and some other sports to protect the head, but they are not standard or essential for tennis.

Option C (Flippers): Flippers are used in swimming, diving and underwater activities, not in court games like tennis.

Option D (A basket): A basket has nothing to do with playing tennis, though ball baskets may be used for coaching sessions; they are not worn or held by players while competing.

Option E (A cricket bat): This is specific to cricket and is not used in tennis, which requires a racket instead.

Common Pitfalls:

At this basic level, the only possible confusion may come from students overthinking the question or mixing equipment from multiple sports. A helpful exam strategy is to quickly visualise a real tennis match and note what each player holds and uses. The visual image of players swinging rackets to hit the ball over the net makes it obvious that the racket is the correct and essential item.

Final Answer:

The essential equipment item needed to play tennis is a racket.