Frustrating USTA Match 3.5

Hi everyone,
This is my first time playing USTA, and I must say it is some fierce tennis
I was in a very close match on Friday my partner and I lost 6-4,6-4 against the no.1 team in our division. So I feel like we played well, However one of the opponents made about 10 blatantly bad line calls. I only called her on one of them, because I felt like my hands were tied. It is their call after all and she made me very aware of that!! The other thing she did to make it a "not so pleasant match" was I took a quick drink of water after the first game, which I won off my serve, and she yelled " YOU CAN"T HAVE ANY WATER AFTER THE FIRST GAME USTA RULES." I was even on the court before her but she just wanted to be nasty. I really feel like the match would have been ours if she was honest. Very Frustrating!
How do you all handle bad calls?
Thanks!!

Call two of her balls out after the first bad call, that's the USTA way.

What kind of wierd rule is that, no water after the 1st game? Can't imagine why that has anything to do with anything, if you are thirsty and it is a side change why not?

Btw, squirt her next time

j30tennis said:

What kind of wierd rule is that, no water after the 1st game? Can't imagine why that has anything to do with anything, if you are thirsty and it is a side change why not?

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Continuous play rule...you are only supposed to break after the odd games starting with 3.

Though, in every match I've played, if someone wanted water, it wasn't a problem.

Sounds like the OP just ran into some nasty people.

Ugh. I had a USTA official get all over my a** for getting water after the
1st game of the second set. It was only 105 degrees, indoors, with ZERO circulation....

We argued and I almost got kicked out. Apparently, it IS the rule. I'm all about following the rules.

crzy4tnns said:

Hi everyone,
This is my first time playing USTA, and I must say it is some fierce tennis
I was in a very close match on Friday my partner and I lost 6-4,6-4 against the no.1 team in our division. So I feel like we played well, However one of the opponents made about 10 blatantly bad line calls. I only called her on one of them, because I felt like my hands were tied. It is their call after all and she made me very aware of that!! The other thing she did to make it a "not so pleasant match" was I took a quick drink of water after the first game, which I won off my serve, and she yelled " YOU CAN"T HAVE ANY WATER AFTER THE FIRST GAME USTA RULES." I was even on the court before her but she just wanted to be nasty. I really feel like the match would have been ours if she was honest. Very Frustrating!
How do you all handle bad calls?
Thanks!!

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They dont know what they are talking about.

Topaz is sort of right, you only get a 90 second break after the 3rd game and after every odd game after that.

But there is no rule that you cant drink water. You get 20 seconds between every point (including when you switch sides after the first game and in a tiebreaker). You can do whatever you want in that 20 seconds. (you could drink water between every point if you wanted as long as you could do it within 20 seconds)

If you took too long after the first game, I think it's fair game for them to mention to you that you dont get a break after the first game. But if you were ready to play before them, and they are just saying "you cant drink water", then they dont know what they are talking about. (because if you took over 20 seconds, that means they took over 20 seconds and they should shut up)

Ive bothered other people before for that (taking too long after the first game). It's usually indoor players who dont usually switch ends, and all the sudden think switching ends is a good excuse to take a nap between every change over.

Amazingly something similar to this came up in our local league playoffs last year. Someone who I know from one of my 3.0 teams was in one of those Coman tiebreakers on a very hot day, and while switching ends he was yelled at "for drinking water". I know it's a "real" official, but he's still wrong.

(usually in that situation, I try not to take anymore time then my opponent, if they are needlessly stalling, then Im going to take a drink, but if they are ready to play, then I make sure Im ready to play.)

Personally I hate it when people make up rules. Next time someone makes up a rule like that (and crys "USTA rules"), ask them to "SHOW ME!!!". I doubt they brought their friend of the court with them and probally dont even know what one is.

crzy4tnns said:

Hi everyone,
This is my first time playing USTA, and I must say it is some fierce tennis
I was in a very close match on Friday my partner and I lost 6-4,6-4 against the no.1 team in our division. So I feel like we played well, However one of the opponents made about 10 blatantly bad line calls. I only called her on one of them, because I felt like my hands were tied. It is their call after all and she made me very aware of that!! The other thing she did to make it a "not so pleasant match" was I took a quick drink of water after the first game, which I won off my serve, and she yelled " YOU CAN"T HAVE ANY WATER AFTER THE FIRST GAME USTA RULES." I was even on the court before her but she just wanted to be nasty. I really feel like the match would have been ours if she was honest. Very Frustrating!
How do you all handle bad calls?
Thanks!!

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And as far as the blantantly bad line calls, if they are really bad, you should at least ask. In fact better then that, ask her partner (rather than who made the call), sometimes it's fun to see the embarressed look on their face, while they try to make up some lame excuse why they cant say.

As long as you dont disturb your partner and interupt the flow of the game, you might as well ask everytime. Dont get mad and make a big scene out of it since they are not going to change their call, but at least give them the message that you think they made a horrible call and you know about it. Some people (not all) get embarressed then about making future bad calls.

I dont think retalitory cheating is really the answer. But if they are making it that unpleasant and screwing up what otherwise could be a fair competition, there isnt any point in you bending over backwards to make it fun for them either.

Although if some team is cheating and you end up playing them, there is some satisfaction in being able to beat them even though they did cheat. If you cheat as well, you cant have that.

luckyskulls said:

Ugh. I had a USTA official get all over my a** for getting water after the
1st game of the second set. It was only 105 degrees, indoors, with ZERO circulation....

We argued and I almost got kicked out. Apparently, it IS the rule. I'm all about following the rules.

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It's not the rule. Look in the Friend of Court. You get 20 seconds, it doesnt say what you do with that 20 seconds.

However that's not a lot of time to change ends, so if you stop and sit there and drink water, then you are wasting time and they can complain. If somehow you could do it while walking to the other end though they cant really say anything (unless they dont know the rules which can be likely).

The only thing it does say is you dont get to rest. But that just means you cant stop and rest (and waste time). It doesnt say you cant drink water, towel off, whatever......

He probally just really scolded you for stopping instead of getting ready to play the next point.

I think the trouble is you get 90 seconds all the other times but most of us do not take 90 seconds. We walk over, we towel off, take a sip of water and then get ready to play. That probally doesnt take much more than 20 seconds.

So if we try to follow the rules on the first game, somehow we have this expectation that we arent going to waste all the time we do the other times but in reality most of us are not making full use of all the time we get between changovers anyway. (the match would take forever if we used ALL the time given to us between points and games)

Ask the official next time if he knows CPR. This stuff gets so silly. Who cares if someone takes a drink after the first game or during tiebreak changeovers. The pros do and nobody calls them on it.

I was coaching a High School team a few years ago and this happen. My number 2 girl was having a typical long pusher type match with a girl her equal. She lost the first set 6-4 and was in a tiebreak for the second set. It was a hot spring day and nobody was adjusted to the heat. At 3-3 she looked so red-faced on the changeover I told her to take some water. The other coach went bananas, telling me that USTA rules say no water breaks on tiebreak changeovers. I ask the A.D. for the County about this and she laughed. She said next time it happen to ask the other coach if she was going to assume responsibility for whatever happen to my player.

j30tennis said:

What kind of wierd rule is that, no water after the 1st game? Can't imagine why that has anything to do with anything, if you are thirsty and it is a side change why not?

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When she said that I just looked at her funny and didn't respond. I knew she was just trying to make me mad! But I also think there should be some way to report these type of players so they get a warning!

JavierLW said:

He probally just really scolded you for stopping instead of getting ready to play the next point.

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Yes...the official was watching our court on a random walk-by. After that 1st game, I did sit in the chair on the change over. (I was digging in my bag for a new wristband) I stood up, got a sip of water and started walking to the baseline. The whole thing took about 20 seconds. She accused me of resting on the changeover and I started telling her that's wasn't what I was doing.

Let me quote her, "...don't get pissy with me."

I asked if that was some kind of threat.

She backed down. But, proceeded to watch our court for the next entire set. It got to my head and I lost the second set badly, after easily winning the 1st.

Not my favorite Districts....

If someone is making bad line calls in our USTA matches, after the second or third "Are you sure?" we request line judges. In our area, one representatve from each team act as judges. They stand by the net posts. They DO NOT call lines unless one of of the players asks for a ruling. It cuts down on bad line calls real quick.

Tennis is supposed to be fun. If the other side is cheating, there is not much you can do. Of course, you can start cheating as well, but it never seems to make the situation much better. I have been at matches where people start threatening to take their differences off the court to the parking lot.

To be honest with you, I find the best thing to do sometimes is to resign and walk off the court because it is not worth playing if the other side cheats constantly. I think that other posters had good comments regarding the rules - you can ask for confirmation from the partner - if they are unsure, then the point is technically yours.

Nellie said:

Tennis is supposed to be fun. If the other side is cheating, there is not much you can do. Of course, you can start cheating as well, but it never seems to make the situation much better. I have been at matches where people start threatening to take their differences off the court to the parking lot.

To be honest with you, I find the best thing to do sometimes is to resign and walk off the court because it is not worth playing if the other side cheats constantly. I think that other posters had good comments regarding the rules - you can ask for confirmation from the partner - if they are unsure, then the point is technically yours.

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That good advice, I would rather default and let people know why I did, than continue to play that kind of match. It is unbelievable that women at that age cheat. It's not like we win a prize or anything!!!

<The other coach went bananas...>

Yeah, I just followed my two daughters through their first high school varsity season. Most of the coaches, all males in the girls league, we're basically gym teachers...and a real joke. I didn't see a lot of teaching.

crzy4tnns said:

Hi everyone,
This is my first time playing USTA, and I must say it is some fierce tennis
I was in a very close match on Friday my partner and I lost 6-4,6-4 against the no.1 team in our division. So I feel like we played well, However one of the opponents made about 10 blatantly bad line calls. I only called her on one of them, because I felt like my hands were tied. It is their call after all and she made me very aware of that!! The other thing she did to make it a "not so pleasant match" was I took a quick drink of water after the first game, which I won off my serve, and she yelled " YOU CAN"T HAVE ANY WATER AFTER THE FIRST GAME USTA RULES." I was even on the court before her but she just wanted to be nasty. I really feel like the match would have been ours if she was honest. Very Frustrating!
How do you all handle bad calls?
Thanks!!

Click to expand...

Usually in doubles if my opponents are @ssholes I communicate with my partner to fire rockets at the net guy continuously. After doing that a couple of times I have learned that they will back off and not be so @ssholish.
People know when they are being @ssholes and they like to test their opponents. If they are @ssholes and you do nothing and absorb what they dish out then they feel they have the upper hand and continue with the behavior. If you either directly or indirectly respond to their behavior enough for them to notice it then they feel like crap because you have acknowledged their behaviour and then procedd to back off.
I usually blow off 1-2 bad line calls because no one is perfect but if it continues then you should say something to them. If it continues past that then for every bad call they make you follow it up with 2:grin:

j30tennis said:

What kind of wierd rule is that, no water after the 1st game? Can't imagine why that has anything to do with anything, if you are thirsty and it is a side change why not?

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...yes, it is a 'side change', but tech'ly you are NOT supposed to take a typical (90 seconds) changeover 'break' on the 1st game of any set...but even the Pros grab a quick swig on the 1st game changeover sometimes,
without an issue. Actually, from my observations, even though this "new"
'changeover rule' has been in effect since aprox 2000, I am amazed at the
percentage of players that still grab a squat after a SET's 1st game...they
are the same folks that are unaware you are entitled to a 'break' when the
set ends at an 'even' game sum...HOWEVER, I just 'grin and bear it'...I would
never take a petty stance and complain about my opponent getting a sip
of water on "1st game" changeover.

I have no problem with someone taking a drink or a quick towel-off during the quick change after the 1st game of a set. I draw the line at taking a seat though.

My rule when it is Hot I take all long as I can, I watch until I think they might start getting mad then I get up or I have even told my partner to sit down and get some water or I have even hid balls when it is real hot lol sorry Onetime it was over a 110 on the court and I intentionallty hit 2 balls over into the highway during play of course and sent my coach to get it and he stalled for 10 minutes I was serving fo the match and needed the extra time he came back with new balls sorry it worked I appoligize Very bad I know Ill deny this of course LOL

I like opponents that 'draw the line' on stuff. It's my passive-aggressive side, I guess -- I'll have two balls in hand, then ask the opponent, "do you have the third ball?" Then, "oh, there it is..."...like fifty feet away...whereupon it's time for a nice stroll over to get it.

The only time the stall comes out is if the opponent is trying to overly control the pace of the match, if I'm getting whupped, stalled by the other guy...or if you say something that generally pisses me off. Even if I lose I'll torment you...so you can remember me for next time and 'want' to beat me...

BigJEFF said:

My rule when it is Hot I take all long as I can, I watch until I think they might start getting mad then I get up or I have even told my partner to sit down and get some water or I have even hid balls when it is real hot lol sorry Onetime it was over a 110 on the court and I intentionallty hit 2 balls over into the highway during play of course and sent my coach to get it and he stalled for 10 minutes I was serving fo the match and needed the extra time he came back with new balls sorry it worked I appoligize Very bad I know Ill deny this of course LOL

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Jeff... that sounds like the kind of pranks that someone from TEXAS would pull!

danfowl said:

...yes, it is a 'side change', but tech'ly you are NOT supposed to take a typical (90 seconds) changeover 'break' on the 1st game of any set...but even the Pros grab a quick swig on the 1st game changeover sometimes,
without an issue. Actually, from my observations, even though this "new"
'changeover rule' has been in effect since aprox 2000, I am amazed at the
percentage of players that still grab a squat after a SET's 1st game...they
are the same folks that are unaware you are entitled to a 'break' when the
set ends at an 'even' game sum...HOWEVER, I just 'grin and bear it'...I would
never take a petty stance and complain about my opponent getting a sip
of water on "1st game" changeover.

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I usually dont mind that much either if my opponent does it, it just means I'll take an extra break. (unless it's really long)

Im more annoyed when they take a break on EVEN games. Here in USTA League sometimes when we play an indoor team, they resist changing ends. Im one of these guys that will make them do that (Im a "BIG MEANIE"), so many times they will start taking breaks between every single game, acting as if they are confused and dont know when to change ends and when not to change ends.

As far as the rule though, I'll say it again. There is nothing wrong with taking a quick sip of water, and anyone who says so is wrong. What is wrong is sitting down and wasting time doing it because you are basically taking a break.

(usually in that situation, I at least dry my hands on my towel real quick as Im changing ends, Im not sure I have time to do both so usually I dont get a drink of water)

Sakkijarvi said:

I like opponents that 'draw the line' on stuff. It's my passive-aggressive side, I guess -- I'll have two balls in hand, then ask the opponent, "do you have the third ball?" Then, "oh, there it is..."...like fifty feet away...whereupon it's time for a nice stroll over to get it.

The only time the stall comes out is if the opponent is trying to overly control the pace of the match, if I'm getting whupped, stalled by the other guy...or if you say something that generally pisses me off. Even if I lose I'll torment you...so you can remember me for next time and 'want' to beat me...

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Can remember a match when my partner, up two games in the 3rd set, kicked a ball down three courts and stalled about 15 minutes so our team would win the match. Just win baby

MariaS said:

That kind of stuff make me furious. It happened to me in a double's match. We were killing this team. Then SHE started taking her time; fetching all the balls that were up against the fence (not even our's); taking her good ole time walking and finally getting ready to serve. BEST PART, THEY STILL LOST!

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Used to enjoy drilling a new hole into their partner, then telling them to remind their teammate to get on with it.

Texas

Jack the Hack said:

Jeff... that sounds like the kind of pranks that someone from TEXAS would pull!

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I like the show me advise.

USTA Doc on Emergency Care

tntmail said:

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Witnessed local players being treated for heat exhaustion on several occasions during both district and sectional playoffs. Worst location was North Central HS courts in Indianapolis in August every year. No shade, heat, and old men are a bad mix. Especially when we played out the 3rd set.