Ball hit Ball hit Winner!!!!

[LOBALOT]

I was at a Junior Tournament last summer and was watching a match and I am hoping you can help me understand a ruling.

A player hit a first serve long and the returning player hit the ball into the net where it rolled back into the service box.

The server then hit his second serve and it hit off the top of the first ball left on the court and the returner in an amazing feet of eye-hand coordination hit a blistering cross-court forehand winner.

The USTA official awarded the point to the returner. I asked the USTA official for specifics on the ruling but I really didn't understand his explanation and did not want to tie him up as he had other courts to cover.

Can you help me understand as my initial thought was as soon as the ball hit the first ball the point was over with server winning the point as the returning player left the first ball in play?

 

[OnTheLine]

Any ball left on the court by the player becomes part of the court.

There was a "make-the-call" article in a recentish Tennis mag issue.

 

[esgee48]

Dead ball on court is part of the playing area. I assume receiving player hit the served ball. Point goes to receiving player if server cannot keep ball in play, which is what you said.

 

[OrangePower]

From USTA Friend at Court, ITF Rules of Tennis section, Paragraph 25: A Good Return, Case 2:

Question: A ball in play hits another ball which is lying in the correct court. What is the correct decision?
Decision: Play continues. However, if it is not clear that the actual ball in play has been returned, a let should be called.

This applies to a ball on court which originated from that same court, which is the case in the OP. So the point continues, since there was no question which ball was in play, and the outcome of the point stands. Returner wins the point.

On the other hand, if the ball on court came from an adjacent court:
USTA Comment 25.1:
Q: What happens if the ball in play strikes a ball that came from another court after the start of the point?
A: Replay the point.

 

[LOBALOT]

Thank you everyone you did a great job of explaining this and it makes sense to me now (Sorry for typo feet.. feat)!

 

[LOBALOT]

Any ball left on the court by the player becomes part of the court.

There was a "make-the-call" article in a recentish Tennis mag issue.

I am not sure how I missed that as I usually read that section.... I still chuckle about the question a while back about an indoor match with a shot hit way up in the air over the rafters without touching anything and landing back down in the court... I knew that answer!

 

[sureshs]

I am not sure how I missed that as I usually read that section.... I still chuckle about the question a while back about an indoor match with a shot hit way up in the air over the rafters without touching anything and landing back down in the court... I knew that answer!

I guessed from the user name