baselinern.
/ˈbeɪslʌɪnə/, U.S. /ˈbeɪsˌlaɪnər/ Tennis.
1. A player who strikes the ball from the baseline.
ΚΠ
1883 Wheelman Sept. 465/2 There is a general feeling that the volleyer has the base-liner at a disadvantage.
1938 J. B. Fenno in H. Kaese et al. Famous Amer. Athletes of Today 6th Ser. ii. 48 They were all primarily baseliners and would have to match strokes with the diminutive American in unending rallies.
1977 Tennis World Sept. 17/3 ‘Baseliners’, ‘retrievers’ and ‘counter-punchers’ are players who stay back from the net.
2009 Coaching Tennis Techn. & Tactical Skills (Amer. Sport Educ. Program) iii. vi. 154 The aggressive baseliner puts pressure on the opponent by forcing him to hit the ball deep in the court consistently.
2. A stroke played from the baseline. rare.
ΚΠ
1903 Westm. Gaz. 27 July 10/2 Ritchie displayed remarkable activity and resource in getting back most of his opponent's lightning ‘base-liners’.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2011; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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