Funny line call in a USTA match

[IA-SteveB]

I was playing in a mixed 7.0 USTA match over the weekend that had a funny little incident. The female player introduced herself and happily stated that she is blind as a bat and can't see the ball on line calls so she plays everything. I smiled and said "that's fine." She was a pretty darn good little player and it was a fun match. However, on one shot I had a nice hard volley to the back corner that was clearly in and I had a perfect view of it as well as 20/10 vision. She called it out and saw I was a little put off, but I never argue calls and just let it go. She thought I was agitated and commented that she clearly saw it out and her partner had no opinion. I just said it wasn't a big deal at all and smiled. A few points later I hit a similar shot that she called in. She stated she thought it was out but was giving it to us to make up for her bad call.

I just thought it was funny how she stated she was blind and couldn't see line calls but was adamant on one important point in the set. I know some people around here would have thrown down the gloves at this point.

[woodrow1029]

Originally Posted by IA-SteveB

I was playing in a mixed 7.0 USTA match over the weekend that had a funny little incident. The female player introduced herself and happily stated that she is blind as a bat and can't see the ball on line calls so she plays everything. I smiled and said "that's fine." She was a pretty darn good little player and it was a fun match. However, on one shot I had a nice hard volley to the back corner that was clearly in and I had a perfect view of it as well as 20/10 vision. She called it out and saw I was a little put off, but I never argue calls and just let it go. She thought I was agitated and commented that she clearly saw it out and her partner had no opinion. I just said it wasn't a big deal at all and smiled. A few points later I hit a similar shot that she called in. She stated she thought it was out but was giving it to us to make up for her bad call.

I just thought it was funny how she stated she was blind and couldn't see line calls but was adamant on one important point in the set. I know some people around here would have thrown down the gloves at this point.

I always get amused when someone says they have 20/10 vision. Brendan Evans used to say that to me and other chair umpires on the pro tour, because he had corrective surgery that gave him 20/10 vision. From that point on, it has been 1000% clear to me that 20/10 vision does not automatically mean that you have good vision when it comes to calling lines.

[IA-SteveB]

Originally Posted by woodrow1029

I always get amused when someone says they have 20/10 vision. Brendan Evans used to say that to me and other chair umpires on the pro tour, because he had corrective surgery that gave him 20/10 vision. From that point on, it has been 1000% clear to me that 20/10 vision does not automatically mean that you have good vision when it comes to calling lines.

True enough. On the other side of the coin, stating you are blind and can't see line calls and then being adamant you saw it clearly is equally amusing.

[woodrow1029]

That's a good point too.

[tennis tom]

Originally Posted by IA-SteveB

I was playing in a mixed 7.0 USTA match over the weekend that had a funny little incident.

... The female player introduced herself and happily stated that she is blind as a bat...


...She was a pretty darn good little player and it was a fun match.

...She called it out and saw I was a little put off,

...but I never argue calls..

...She thought I was agitated and commented that she clearly saw it out

...and her partner had no opinion.

...I just said it wasn't a big deal at all and smiled.

...She stated she thought it was out but was giving it to us to make up for her bad call.

Sounds like typical 3.5 tennis. At least she gave you fair warning that she would be making some bad calls and she fulfilled her promise--what's so unusual about that?

Her eyesight was good enough to see "the look" you gave her.

I think you do "argue" calls, but you do it passive-aggressively. "The Look" is a form of arguing without words. If you disagree with a call it's not arguing to state your disagreement. You are allowed by the rules to say "Are you sure?" That's not arguing, that's questioning. At 3.5, nine out of ten times they will say yes they are sure, rather than use the opportunity to do the right thing and fess up and say, "You know what, I think I blew the call, your point, sorry, I apologize, the peepers aren't what they used to be".

Her partner is a chicken **** if he saw the bad call and didn't fix it. I just played with a couple of a-holes like that and have no respect for them, don't care if I ever play with them ever again and didn't bother to remember their names.

I don't know where this notion comes from to stay silent and not incur the wrath of one's partner by overruling their egregiously bad calls--fear that they may never play with you again?--I don't want to play ever again with a partner who doesn't want to get the calls right. The code says it's all players responsibility to help to make the right call.

[NumbersGuy]

Originally Posted by tennis tom

...I don't know where this notion comes from to stay silent and not incur the wrath of one's partner by overruling their egregiously bad calls--fear that they may never play with you again?--I don't want to play ever again with a partner who doesn't want to get the calls right. The code says it's all players responsibility to help to make the right call.

Tom, you evidently don't play mixed with your wife. Or if you do, does she have a sister?

[tennis tom]

Originally Posted by NumbersGuy

Tom, you evidently don't play mixed with your wife. Or if you do, does she have a sister?

No wives, I try to learn from other's mistakes.

[IA-SteveB]

Originally Posted by tennis tom

I think you do "argue" calls, but you do it passive-aggressively. "The Look" is a form of arguing without words. If you disagree with a call it's not arguing to state your disagreement. You are allowed by the rules to say "Are you sure?" That's not arguing, that's questioning. At 3.5, nine out of ten times they will say yes they are sure, rather than use the opportunity to do the right thing and fess up and say, "You know what, I think I blew the call, your point, sorry, I apologize, the peepers aren't what they used to be".

Yeah, I agree with what you are saying here and you are right about the way I choose to handle things. I like to avoid potential arguments because you never know who you are going to get in a tennis match. I am not that good at picking out the whackos who could pop a fuse at any moment. Good point!

[LuckyR]

The vast majority of line errors at 3.5 are not because of vision problems.

[sundaypunch]

Originally Posted by woodrow1029

I always get amused when someone says they have 20/10 vision. Brendan Evans used to say that to me and other chair umpires on the pro tour, because he had corrective surgery that gave him 20/10 vision. From that point on, it has been 1000% clear to me that 20/10 vision does not automatically mean that you have good vision when it comes to calling lines.

This is true, although telling someone "I have 20/400 vision" is even less likely to give them confidence in your line calls.