1) Get an SLR (Single-lens reflex camera). You can take decent shots with a “Point and Shoot” camera if it has a full manual mode and very fast response time, but those are rare. The lenses on them are pretty slow too (they don't gather much light), and you want to shoot fast. An entry-level Digital SLR is just fine and won't break the bank.

2) Buy courtside seats or buy a good lens. In the long run, the lens will be cheaper. You want it to go to at least 200mm focal length (the bigger the number, the greater the magnification). For reference, my overhead shots were from the 300-level of the stadium with a 300mm lens. You also want it to be fast, at least f/4 (the lower the f-stop number, the more light it gathers, letting you shoot faster and freeze the action).

3) Study the players. Spend the first game or two watching each player and making mental notes. When Marion Bartoli can set up for a big groundstroke, she explodes forward and about a foot vertically. I can't tell you how many great "headless Marion" shots I've got. Check where they make contact with the ball, their swing speed, any strange tics that will mess up your shot. Rafael Nadal's snapping forehand is as tough as it gets, I suggest you start elsewhere.

4) Understand the game. This is tough to teach, of course, but when you've got your eye in the viewfinder you can't watch what's going on. So listen instead. If you can tell who is control of a point, when someone is being run around, or is pushing toward the net, you can predict the action you're shooting, instead of playing catch-up.

5) Shoot lots of pictures, and I mean LOTS. And delete most of them. In a long rally, I'll try a shot every time my player swings. After the point, I'll quickly scroll through and delete most of them. If they're clearly out of frame or focus, they're gone. In a 3-set match I probably shoot 1500 pics and end up with 100 "keepers" which get pared down to 20-30 nice shots. As the saying goes, the difference between a pro and an amateur is that the pro only shows you their good shots.

6) If you want a pretty picture of Caroline Wozniacki, catch her off court. I don't mean to pick on Caroline, I think she's very pretty. I just mean that some players have some very unflattering game faces. Maria Sharapova never hits with her eyes open. I don't even know how to describe Rafa mid-swing. Now, I'm out there looking for the action shots, even if they're "winning ugly", but if you want something pleasing, stick with Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic (a bit goofy, but I'd still put him on my wall), Kim Clijsters, and of course, every photographer's best friend, Ana Ivanovic.

7) Experiment with different settings and see if you're getting what you want. Use Shutter Priority mode (TV on my camera). In the daytime, I use a shutter speed of 1/1250th of a second or faster. Seriously, I have some Rafa forehands shot at 1/2000th and they still blurred slightly. Sometimes that can be fun, since it captures some motion. Once you get the speed you want, let your camera worry about the rest.

8) Backgrounds. Ugh. There is nothing worse than capturing that great stretching forehand and then realizing the player's white shirt blends in perfectly with the logo on the back wall. So try a few shots with different backgrounds, and learn where the "sweet spots" are. Ideally, find a nice dark background so the player and ball will stand out, and try to get most of your shots in front of that. Be very conscious about this one because your 3-D brain has the ability to separate an object from its background that is lacking in the 2-D world of photography. This is why so many people in family snapshots appear to have weird things sticking out from their heads - the photographer just didn't notice that perfectly-placed ficus in the background.

9) Autofocus and timing. It's tempting to get a twelve frames-per-second camera and just rapid-fire all day. But I actually found it easier to learn the player's swing and time a single shot. Use AI Servo mode (at least that's what Canon calls it), and center spot focus, these let you hold the shutter button halfway down and follow the player around, keeping them in focus. Then take a single shot (I start to fire just as the player starts their forward motion, but your reaction time may vary). Do this a lot, look at your results, adjust, and keep at it. Before you know it, you'll have that beautiful shot with a compressed ball on a deformed racquet!

10) Have fun! For me, the hunt for that perfect shot is enthralling, but for most people it isn't. Try shooting for a bit, but if the lighting isn't good, or if it's Ivo Karlovic v John Isner and you have enough shots of people serving, turn off the camera and enjoy the match!

Keep at it and good luck! And remember, as famed photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson said, "Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst."