What happened at the end of Martin, Roddick match?

[theprophe]

I just watched it on eurosport in another language, the crowd is boing, and something happened between the players after they shook hands, can anyone explain, since i don't speak czech (the language i was watchig in)

[irishbanger]

PMac said that Martin objected to Roddick complaining about the Martin out call earlier.

[mileslong]

martin was still upset with roddick for the way he reacted to martin questioning a call. roddick hit one out, martin then followed through and hit the ball back over the net but stopped playing and went over to point out the mark. roddick hit it back at martin and then got pissed when the judge looked at the mark and called it out.

martin played the point correctly by stopping the point. roddick started whining even though he was wrong. he obviously doesnt know the rules. he needs to ask that bs coach of his to explain the rules to him.

[Capt. Willie]

I think Martin complained to Roddick that his (Andy's) shot to the sideline was out. I have on ESPN and they seem to be a bit confused as to what was said.

[mileslong]

leave it to that idiot coach of roddicks to spin to say that martin stopped because roddick was in position to put away the point.

[Kobble]

It just proves the respectability of Roddick is getting lower by the tournament. The man needs to settle down. I know many players feel that Martin gets some calls for the manner in which he acts, but I have never seen him do anything outside the rules, or in bad taste. Roddick is acting like a junior player when it comes to line calls, someone needs to remind him he is in the big leagues now.

[theprophe]

ya, i thought it was about that point, but i didn't thinkMartin would of been upset after the match about it, it seemed roddick was really pissed off after that point, adn was trying to hit his serve just a little harder down the line

[Chanchai]

I'm happy to see Roddick through (at least through the first round). Though I'm really surprised it was in straight sets against Martin (the guy seems to live for best 3/5 tennis).

About the "issue..." Did Roddick have a point? I think he did. But it was still inappropriate and unnecessary. Also, considering it being Roland Garros and the crowd... I tend to think it was also stupid to make that commotion. It only fuels the reaction he'll certainly get with his inevitable encounter with a frenchman in that draw, among other things.

Does someone know the rule on that though? Stop the ball if you're going to point out an overlooked mark/call?

But under the circumstances, there was NO REASON for him to be upset and start something. He was comfortably in the lead and at worst, he was on serve. Sigh... just more fuel for the haters, the crowd, the locker room conversations, etc... And besides... Who in the world has ever ticked off Todd Martin?!

-Chanchai

Originally Posted by Chanchai

Does someone know the rule on that though? Stop the ball if you're going to point out an overlooked mark/call?
-Chanchai

Well Martin had to stop the play.. If he hit the ball one more time, he wouldnt be able to question the call..

The only thing roddick could be upset about is that he hit the ball and then stopped, but better late then never. If he continued playing and then said it was out, than that's a different story. I remember Shciettler doing that in Monte Carlo and the ref wouldn't even look at the mark because the ball had been played.

[Lefty Spin]

I am by no means a Roddick lover, but I thought Roddick was right. I thought the rule was that you had to stop play immediately. I didn't think you were even allowed to hit the ball. In my opinion it looked as if Martin played the ball and then realized it was out. I think it probably is a matter of rule interpretation.

[tennis_prodigy]

Didn't you see what happened??? The crowd was booing not because of the bad call, but becasue RodDIck didn't SHAKE umpire's HAND at the end of the match. That was majorly disrespectful of him and in the 2nd round, he'd better be ready for a nightmare

Originally Posted by tennis_prodigy

Didn't you see what happened??? The crowd was booing not because of the bad call, but becasue RodDIck didn't SHAKE umpire's HAND at the end of the match. That was majorly disrespectful of him and in the 2nd round, he'd better be ready for a nightmare

Umpires suck.. The human eye is just not good enough to determine if a ball is in or out. I've seen so many bad calls; they should move to instant replay and electronic sensor systems.

[SonicSpeed]

Todd and Andy already have it resolved. It was just a misunderstanding from both players.

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Roddick victory overshadowed by Martin row

PARIS (AFP) - Reigning US Open champion Andy Roddick advanced to the second round of the French Open (news - web sites) with a straight sets win over fellow American Todd Martin.

Roddick, the second seed, won through 7-6 (7/5), 6-4, 7-5 and next meets Frenchman Olivier Mutis.

But the match was overshadowed by a controversial incident which led to the players leaving the court with jeers ringing around the main Philippe Chatrier Court.

The row started when Martin stopped playing a point after he believed a Roddick shot was out despite having carried on having returned the first ball to his opponent.

"I knew he didn't argue the validity or the accuracy of whether the ball was in or out but I felt like he thought I bent the rules in order to win the point," said 33-year-old Martin.

"His argument was with the umpire. He didn't understand the rule and I believe him. I think that's my mistake.

"I made a royal-you-know-what out of myself and unfortunately that could reflect badly on Andy and that's my fault.

"The rule is Andy hit a ball and it was out. But I have a split second to play the ball from the bounce to my racquet. I am allowed to play that ball and then stop and decide whether that ball was in or out.

"I hit it like it was in. As the ball was flying back to the other side of the net, I peeked at the mark, it was out, I stopped. Basically, I needed to call it out right away.

"At the end, I just said to him I was disappointed with the way the situation had been handled," added the former US and Australian Open finalist.

Roddick also tried to cool the fallout after the match.

"It was just a misunderstanding," said the US Open champion.

"I was questioning the rule, if you have to stop immediately or if you could hit one shot and circle a mark. That's about it.

"We talked about it in the locker room and he explained his stance. I explained mine. It's not a big deal."

[pound cat]

The worst thing about the match was that Roddick was dressed exactly like the landscape guys who come and mow my lawn. What was he thinking??? Or does he have a business on the side?

[dantyem108]

LOL-

Originally Posted by tennis_prodigy

Didn't you see what happened??? The crowd was booing not because of the bad call, but becasue RodDIck didn't SHAKE umpire's HAND at the end of the match. That was majorly disrespectful of him

Gee, I wonder if Andy forgetting to shake the umpire's hand might have something to do with the fact that he was shocked speechless by Martin's words to him at the net?

Naah. Giving Roddick the benefit of the doubt just isn't cool.

[Deuce]

"The worst thing about the match was that Roddick was dressed exactly like the landscape guys who come and mow my lawn."
That was pretty funny.

Martin continues to show his class, even after a 'slip'. I suppose he was frustrated at not taking advantage of his opportunities during the match - especially because he is fighting a losing battle with time at this point in his career - and that frustration boiled over at the hand shake. He acknowledged his mistake, realizing that he should have kept it for the locker room. I think we can allow Martin an error like this, which was perhaps the only such mistake of his career, as well as being a far smaller mistake than most players make.

As for the point in question - any tennis player knows that there is no time to stop the point right at that moment - a milisecond after it hits the dirt - and know if it is in or out. The only time we can do this is on a very slowly struck ball that has a rather high arc, and usually bounces near the baseline. The ball that Roddick hit was not a floater, and so of course Martin had to hit it back. He didn't hit the next shot back, and so not only was perfectly within his right, but also reacted the only way he possibly could, given the circumstance.