Fine for unsportsman behavior (smashing racquet, swearing)

[a529612]

These players deserve it...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/3626192.stm

[mrwise]

He acted like a complete jerk. I think they should have disqualified him. There is not another sport who would have put up with that crap. Do you think if any other athlete took their equipment and did what he did that they wouldn't have been ejected?? I thought it was funny that Massu tried to rationalize it by saying that they had been out there for 4 and a half hours...The umpire should have understood that he might smash a few rackets...Whatever. I am glad that he lost that match.

[jun]

These players are human with emotions. They can get happy, frustarted, angry, depressed, etc etc. After being on the court for 4 hours, the player is going to get frustrated and angry when s/he make mistakes or when things don't go in his/her way.

I think umpire should be discreet in when they give warnings and penalties. I feel like the 3rd warning and game penalty against Massu should have been withdrawn. He had been out ther batteling his butt off, and deserves some slack.

[Tennis Guy]

Originally Posted by jun

These players are human with emotions. They can get happy, frustarted, angry, depressed, etc etc. After being on the court for 4 hours, the player is going to get frustrated and angry when s/he make mistakes or when things don't go in his/her way.

I think umpire should be discreet in when they give warnings and penalties. I feel like the 3rd warning and game penalty against Massu should have been withdrawn. He had been out ther batteling his butt off, and deserves some slack.

I agree. Safin has done a lot worse without getting a point penalty.

[yee]

Good point Tennis Guy.

I didn't see Andy getting any penalties whatsoever when he threw his racquet to the direction of the offcials and flew on to the crowds stands. I thought that was ridiculous.

[callitout]

yeah you guys are right if you break a bat in baseball you're ejected. If you throw your helmet toward the bench as you leave the field your expelled, and in hockey if you even have naughty thoughts your disqualified. Tennis players really get a lot of latitude.

[ibemadskillzz]

don't penalise a game, and not even a point. Fire that Ump. Massu Broke his own possessions who cares???? He didn't hurt anyone.
Look at other sports, Boxing- kill each other, hockey- checking and fighting, etc...

[a529612]

Originally Posted by ibemadskillzz

Massu Broke his own possessions who cares????

It's Babolat's money, right?

[lenosucks]

He got caught up in the moment, give him a break.

[perfmode]

Originally Posted by callitout

yeah you guys are right if you break a bat in baseball you're ejected. If you throw your helmet toward the bench as you leave the field your expelled, and in hockey if you even have naughty thoughts your disqualified. Tennis players really get a lot of latitude.

Tennis isn't a team sport. There is a lot more weight on stress on the shoulders of only one man. Also, in tennis you play for every paycheck. In team sports, you have a contract and you can relax and not worry about a bad performance. Tennis is all about survival. It's a lot more stressful.

[Chadwixx]

i heard the f word come out of capriatis mouth twice on espn during her match with hingis in the aus open final. not even a warning and it was loud enough that tv viewers could hear.

juan carlos is right about the preferential treatement for certain players.

if u have played competitivly in some form u can understand what massu was feeling. hell, after 5 hours he has to be grouchy from hunger.

[tennis-n-sc]

Top ranked players have gotten away with much more. However, I say enforce the rules 100% for everyone. If that can't be done, change the rules to something that can be enforced. Stop picking and choosing where the examples are to be made.

[jun]

well I think it will be quite tough to enforce the same rule to everybody 100%.

Each umpire has different level of leniencies, so some will penalize more than others. It's kinda like "Micheal Jordan's rule" in basketball. For example, Roddick plays long long 5 setter that goes on for 4~5 hrs. It's his 4th raccket abuse in the match, do you think the umpire will have guts to default him? At semifinals of US Open? I highly highly doubt that...

There are always going to exceptions, and I think umpires should look at the context in which players are playing in...

[lenosucks]

perfmode i believe callitout was being sarcastic, unless he's really dumb enough to think that hockey players are "disqualified for having naughty thoughts" and that baseball players get thrown out for throwing their helmets towards their dugout.

[katarddx]

In the recent NTRP tournament, I said (and not that loud) after missing a shot:"O, God!". The referee came on to court and took a poinf from me!!!! It was a SET point!!! I stood in disbelief, then tried to make a pont that I didn't even scream at all. He said that I have used God's name in vain...Absolute Non-Sence! Told him that there just might be some people who are non-belivers and that doesn't matter at all to them and that his decision might be actually offensive to some people, but he wouldn't listen. So there goes my set point and set, but that is beside the point... I just felt like my rights were seroiusly violated. I might be wrong, but I doubt it... What do you think about it? Ever heard about something lke it? When I said that point shoudn't be take, but warning give, he said that they "don't do that anymore". and BTW, I am not one of those screaming guys, sometimes I just mumble something and talk to my self quietly, and that is about it...

[Andre's Mom]

Massu also was fine $1,000......on top of all.
And they said that guys who show their emotions on the court is good for the game......
so, when the empire does not understand the language, the player can curse all they want, and get away with?
having a empire that speak the player language, work against the player?
Today a french player got disqualified for throwing the raquet and hit the line person on the face, hits person was bleeding,
I think it was Gasket.
How many times J Mac was penalized with a game? for vulgarity, braking raquets, verbal abuse to the empire....
about Jimmy Connors in his last usopen?
Please ....refresh my memory

[tennis-n-sc]

Jun, it isn't the umpire that sets the lienency but the tournament director and the ITF. The chair umpires will do as they are told or lose their ability to work. I think that if players realized rules were going to be enforced, you would not see some of the outbursts and abuse. The broadcast last nite picked up Roddick directing some profanityat the chair ump. Of course, nothing was done (I'm a Roddick fan) and it should have been. It can be done, but like the NBA, probably won't be due to pressure by the ATP and WTA.

[Tim Tennis]

The Rule is: Rules, regulations, laws, even policies, never have been and never will be applied and enforced on a consistent, fair, unbiased basis. That is the only rule that will never be broken.

But you still have got to love the game.

[callitout]

For verbal abuse to the umpire the penalties should be much stiffer perhaps severing the tongue from its attachment to the floor of the mouth. And for inappropriate fist pumps (as some have accused Roddick of) definately amputation of the hand.