What to do when a guy is cheap.

[[ GTR ]]

I lost a high school match 6-7(5) against a guy who I would easily beat. I was winning 4-0 and then when he started being cheap I just lost it. On the 1st few games there was a point where I was at the net and he hit a pass that just missed the line, I was 100% sure it was out by about 2cm. I called out and then guy though I was cheating so in the next few games, he started doing the same. On aces, he says I hit lets when I was pretty sure the ball didn't touch the net. We played with 3 balls, 2 balls new and one flat one. He hit a miss hit that lost one ball.

We now have 2 balls, the flat one and a good one. When I recieve, I stand on the baseline and he serves the flat ball ON purpose and aces me.
You can't really tell which ball is flat from across the other side. So I went up to my coach and asked him if I could have another ball. I swapped it with the flat one and the guy asks me "Why did you switch?". OMG, why the f*ck would you want to play with a flat ball?

I can't believe I still lost the match and it cost us our team losing to their school.

I want to ask you guys, what would you do if you were in my position? Or share your experience with something similar.

[emo5]

Next time, just tell the guy!! Or change the balls earlier
If you post this on a message board it will never get resolved and it will stick on you. So if you need to vent you anger, dont hold it in. Its very bad advice I know, your teachers would never tell you this, but your playing tennis, not learning! (dont physically punch the guy though, then you'll get suspended)
And if your unsure just play2 (replay the point, with two serves)
Also, if the guy keeps cheating, stop play, let your coach or whoever is incharge come and observe.
If its just one point, you just have to get over it in 5 seconds or else you cant cocentrate on the match.

[OrangeOne]

Originally Posted by emo5

And if your unsure just play2 (replay the point, with two serves)

If you're unsure - it's actually in, there's just no question about that.

[emo5]

Sorry I forgot to add to that point, if your both unsure, then play2.
Thanks for finding my mistake orangeone

[[ GTR ]]

Originally Posted by emo5

Next time, just tell the guy!! Or change the balls earlier
If you post this on a message board it will never get resolved and it will stick on you. So if you need to vent you anger, dont hold it in. Its very bad advice I know, your teachers would never tell you this, but your playing tennis, not learning! (dont physically punch the guy though, then you'll get suspended)
And if your unsure just play2 (replay the point, with two serves)
Also, if the guy keeps cheating, stop play, let your coach or whoever is incharge come and observe.
If its just one point, you just have to get over it in 5 seconds or else you cant cocentrate on the match.

I appreciate you trying to help me but it's too bad my coach/teacher isn't really a tennis coach and he doesn't know the rules of tennis. I couldn't tell anyone to watch because they were also playing their matches. About the flat ball.... I especially hid the ball under the back fence and he goes to get it and as I said before you can't really tell from the other side.

He served the flat ball about 2 or 3 times, yes I know that might not be a lot of times but I got so angry after that I couldn't concentrate. Well, he lollypops the serve and no way could you get it.... I doubt Nadal could

[maverick66]

dont think about it. seriously if he wants to hit serves with a flat ball then do it back. also if he cheats call him on it. every call he makes questian it. it will get him thinking about it and now your in his head. doing little things like this come with playing alot of matches.

[xtremerunnerars]

Originally Posted by maverick66

dont think about it. seriously if he wants to hit serves with a flat ball then do it back. also if he cheats call him on it. every call he makes questian it. it will get him thinking about it and now your in his head. doing little things like this come with playing alot of matches.

I don't recommend that. It doesn't get you anywhere, and gives you the reputation of the former (and sometimes current) Andy Murray. Get one of the coaches to come and officiate the match.

[The Prodigy]

i'm guessing you are playing varsity singles. can't you have jv players be line judges?

[maverick66]

Originally Posted by xtremerunnerars

I don't recommend that. It doesn't get you anywhere, and gives you the reputation of the former (and sometimes current) Andy Murray. Get one of the coaches to come and officiate the match.

so youd let someone push you over. seriously this game is not nice game. sometimes you have to be a jerk. whats the worst that happens he gets mad and pushes you and then gets defaulted.

[xtremerunnerars]

There's a line between being as bad as the other guy (and being an @$$ to boot), and doing the right thing.

I'm fairly certain that The Code recommends getting someone else to come and officiate the match.


No major offense intended, but people with your attitude represent a problem in tennis.

[warneck]

You can't bend a sword with words?

I would take my racquet and break his legs. Then I would verbally offence him and take a laugh.

---
Just make someone with a good eye officiate the match, no problem mate. Also learn the art of questioning his calls and never let it get to your head. If you don't turn it into aggressive well-paced play altho

I have been into the same situation MANY times myself. It all starts with me bageling. Suddenly my opponents start to question my balls, luckily on clay that ain't a big problem. I just puts more spin and less depth on my balls. You can still beat your opponent by mere placement and ending the points on net for once.. You know, big fat liars are one type of players. And we all know that you need different tactics for playing against different player styles.

[Ronny]

same thing happened to me again exept the guy was a cheap arse pusher to begin with

[maverick66]

Originally Posted by xtremerunnerars

There's a line between being as bad as the other guy (and being an @$$ to boot), and doing the right thing.

I'm fairly certain that The Code recommends getting someone else to come and officiate the match.


No major offense intended, but people with your attitude represent a problem in tennis.

at the end of the day if i win i dont care. your there to win matches if you want to go and have a little fun play for fun dont do team or tournaments. for those you are there to win. grow some balls and stand up for yourself dont hide behind a coach. if hes hooking get in his face. trust me most cheaters will crumble when constantly questianed.

[Nexus]

Last year, the foreign exchange guy on my team who took my second singles spot played this one guy from another team, and this was a fairly good team in terms of the skill of the players. Anyway, I do recall this one shot where my friend from China called the ball out, which it was, and the opponent got all mad, approached the net, questioned him, got angrier when my friend told him the ball was out, the proceeded to walk over to my friend's side of the court and point to where he supposedly saw the ball land. Sadly, being the polite guy my friend was, he gave in to the guy, (who we called "Cedric the Beast" until we found out that he talks like a girl.) and I'm pretty sure my friend lost his match. I was a little ticked, and once the coach found out he was a little upset, too. In any case, had the guy gone any farther, he probably would have had his butt knocked between his ears and his racket around his neck because Good ol' Jessie knew martial arts. My coach, later on, proceeded to make this clear in a phone call to the other coach when he said that if Jessie had felt threatened or in danger, he might have reacted. But, Jessie was a really mild-mannered guy, but he sure was built.

My point: Inform the coach, or request line judges -one or two from each time if no line chairs are available- to get a second opinion and such and to ease player-player tensions. Really, I'd rather be generous with a call and be confident enough in my skills to know that I could get whatever points I may have lost back because I'd rather not dwell on the "what if it was really out and I made a bad call." But it's all a part of the game, right? You be as honest as you can. And as a competitor, you shouldn't question your opponent's calls or put them in the position to where they may doubt themselves. Just dominate them, not get them on technicalities.

And another thing. You wouldn't play with a flat basketball, would you? So why play with a dead tennis ball.

And my definition of cheap is... When you play someone, usually an older guy who's not as fast, but sneaky, so they can direct and place the ball very well, and get nice drop shots all deceptive like, or just hit crazy angles. Or, when the ball clips the top of the tape and goes over and you have no chance of getting it. Now that's cheap. But it's all a part of the game. Tolerate the bad parts and love the good parts. It all favors the good in the end.

[Techniques]

Originally Posted by The Prodigy

i'm guessing you are playing varsity singles. can't you have jv players be line judges?

He lives in Australia. I'm Aussie as well and there can be some sneaky idiots who cheat. Usually I just deal with them by cleary hitting them not near the line. Also if they are calling lets and they cleary aren't, get a person to be a let judge. I'm pretty sure you can get someone to be a linesman as well.

[[ GTR ]]

Originally Posted by Nexus

And another thing. You wouldn't play with a flat basketball, would you? So why play with a dead tennis ball.

And my definition of cheap is... When you play someone, usually an older guy who's not as fast, but sneaky, so they can direct and place the ball very well, and get nice drop shots all deceptive like, or just hit crazy angles. Or, when the ball clips the top of the tape and goes over and you have no chance of getting it. Now that's cheap. But it's all a part of the game. Tolerate the bad parts and love the good parts. It all favors the good in the end.

Thanks for your suggestions and thanks to everyone who helped. I especially hit the ball under the fence, somehow he got it. I don't think drop shots a cheap, I think it takes a lot of skill to do it on big points. Yeah, when the ball clips the net and fall down, when the opponent doesn't apologise... there's something wrong with him.

[Ronnie92]

When someone I'm playing gets 1 call wrong, I start the "line is out" rule in my head.

[heycal]

............

[Freedom]

I played against a guy last year who though I was cheating. He was their #1 singles player, and I handed it to him first set 6-1. On the set point, he double faults about a foot into the wrong service box. I call it out and start going to switch sides. He gets in my face, tells me he should get two serves because my call was wrong, how I need to get better glasses, etc. A couple of his buddies were watching and ran to their coach who appointed a line judge to watch us play. After a few games, the judge told us we were fine to call our own lines and left.
Get a line judge! It solves all the problems!

[Kabob190]

Originally Posted by [ GTR ]

Yeah, when the ball clips the net and fall down, when the opponent doesn't apologise... there's something wrong with him.

let me get this straight, when you hit a ball and it hits the net chord and rolls on to your opponents court tennis etiquette says your supposed to apologize? never have i heard this before