Gut4Tennis
Hall of Fame
Here is something that I would like to share with all of the tennis people who play USTA league. I was playing a mixed doubles match last night and this is what happened. No umpire of course.
We won a tight first set in a tiebreaker against a team that has not lost yet this year. All calls were good in the first set, with only one occasion of a slight disagreement. My female served to the male in the deuce court, it was a let court, and the ball landed close to the line, the other female called the serve out, and her male partner overruled her. Sometimes those let serves can be hard to see well.
We were on serve in the second set, we were serving and they had break point against us. My female partner served to the female in the ad court, and when the return came I was on top of the net and volleyed up the middle and it appeared my ball landed inside the baseline or on the baseline. This volley was more of a slow floater, which allowed all to see the ball very well. The female was backing up and her male partner was backing up as well so they were both very close to the base line when the ball landed. As she backed up the ball hit the ground, she swung and she missed the ball into the net, then she looked at her partner hoping he saw the call, he said absolutely nothing. I was watching them closely and what they might say, then started to turn away since no call was made that tells me it was in. she then looked at us and of course I was right on top of the net so I heard that she never said anything. She then looked back at her partner looked at us again and told us "I told my partner it was out."
I'd then said, "Oh Oh no that is completely against the rules, as first you never said anything to him, or us, you then missed the ball, didn't make any call, then waited more than 5 seconds, and then told us that you told your partner it was out. The rules state that you must call a quick and decisive call without a break."
She then said, " but we've given you many calls earlier"
I then said, "anything in the past has nothing to do with what just happened in this point and I've been around the block enough to know the rules, and what you're doing is against the rules. I'm sorry but that's our point."
She then said, "fine if you're going to be like that then take the point."
We proceeded to win that point but then they had Brake points again , and then a few more break points, but we eventually won the game. The next game we broke her serve, and then she quit, saying she felt dizzy. It might of been from the argument. We were up 3-1 with 10 min left so there was no chance they could win at that point anyway.
The way I see it is if I were to let her get away with going against the rules then it would not allow her the chance to grow & better herself into understanding the rules or how a situation like that should be handled.
Some may not agree with how I handled that situation, while some others might applaud me for calling her on the rule. Some people would say we're just here to have fun, so let them have the point, even if it was an ultra late call where they really didn't make any call. If I were to let them get away with railroading a phantom call then it would do injustice to the friend of the court rules.
If I feel a rule is being broken I will stand up for myself and my partner and hold strong.
Anytime when I play if I don't make a quick and decisive call, I then give the point to my opponents. Just because its your call, does not mean you can make the call up and lie about making a call. I have no problem with a late call, but making no call, and then telling us you made the call is an outright lie.
If someone makes a quick and decisive call that I think is really bad, I try my best to not say anything, and just give you the benefit of the doubt of missing the call, but if its not quick and decisive, and I think its a bad call, then your going to have a rules argument with me.
* I will add I'm the only player I have ever seen that calls his own balls out, even after my opponent thinks I hit a winner. Example : I serve up the middle on the deuce court, they don't make a call and start to walk to the other side giving me an ace, and I say immediately, no I missed that serve wide, I cant take that. I've never ever had anyone else do that, so I know I'm very fair. I won't give you anything for free either. You have to earn it, or learn it
Interested to know how you might of handled it.
We won a tight first set in a tiebreaker against a team that has not lost yet this year. All calls were good in the first set, with only one occasion of a slight disagreement. My female served to the male in the deuce court, it was a let court, and the ball landed close to the line, the other female called the serve out, and her male partner overruled her. Sometimes those let serves can be hard to see well.
We were on serve in the second set, we were serving and they had break point against us. My female partner served to the female in the ad court, and when the return came I was on top of the net and volleyed up the middle and it appeared my ball landed inside the baseline or on the baseline. This volley was more of a slow floater, which allowed all to see the ball very well. The female was backing up and her male partner was backing up as well so they were both very close to the base line when the ball landed. As she backed up the ball hit the ground, she swung and she missed the ball into the net, then she looked at her partner hoping he saw the call, he said absolutely nothing. I was watching them closely and what they might say, then started to turn away since no call was made that tells me it was in. she then looked at us and of course I was right on top of the net so I heard that she never said anything. She then looked back at her partner looked at us again and told us "I told my partner it was out."
I'd then said, "Oh Oh no that is completely against the rules, as first you never said anything to him, or us, you then missed the ball, didn't make any call, then waited more than 5 seconds, and then told us that you told your partner it was out. The rules state that you must call a quick and decisive call without a break."
She then said, " but we've given you many calls earlier"
I then said, "anything in the past has nothing to do with what just happened in this point and I've been around the block enough to know the rules, and what you're doing is against the rules. I'm sorry but that's our point."
She then said, "fine if you're going to be like that then take the point."
We proceeded to win that point but then they had Brake points again , and then a few more break points, but we eventually won the game. The next game we broke her serve, and then she quit, saying she felt dizzy. It might of been from the argument. We were up 3-1 with 10 min left so there was no chance they could win at that point anyway.
The way I see it is if I were to let her get away with going against the rules then it would not allow her the chance to grow & better herself into understanding the rules or how a situation like that should be handled.
Some may not agree with how I handled that situation, while some others might applaud me for calling her on the rule. Some people would say we're just here to have fun, so let them have the point, even if it was an ultra late call where they really didn't make any call. If I were to let them get away with railroading a phantom call then it would do injustice to the friend of the court rules.
If I feel a rule is being broken I will stand up for myself and my partner and hold strong.
Anytime when I play if I don't make a quick and decisive call, I then give the point to my opponents. Just because its your call, does not mean you can make the call up and lie about making a call. I have no problem with a late call, but making no call, and then telling us you made the call is an outright lie.
If someone makes a quick and decisive call that I think is really bad, I try my best to not say anything, and just give you the benefit of the doubt of missing the call, but if its not quick and decisive, and I think its a bad call, then your going to have a rules argument with me.
* I will add I'm the only player I have ever seen that calls his own balls out, even after my opponent thinks I hit a winner. Example : I serve up the middle on the deuce court, they don't make a call and start to walk to the other side giving me an ace, and I say immediately, no I missed that serve wide, I cant take that. I've never ever had anyone else do that, so I know I'm very fair. I won't give you anything for free either. You have to earn it, or learn it
Interested to know how you might of handled it.
