Fleming responds to Rafa on time rules

[coloskier]

There NOTHING stopping players from playing a more attacking style, however much time is allowed.



Did the 25 second rule exist then?.

The rule has always been 25 seconds, except for Grand Slams which is 20 seconds. With best of 5 sets, you need to speed things up. Some people talk like a 6 hour match is a great thing. Try telling that to the sponsors and TV, who are, in fact, the ones who pay the prize money. Any match over 3 1/2 hours is a snoozefest, no matter how good the tennis is.

 

[Steve0904]

The rule has always been 25 seconds, except for Grand Slams which is 20 seconds. With best of 5 sets, you need to speed things up. Some people talk like a 6 hour match is a great thing. Try telling that to the sponsors and TV, who are, in fact, the ones who pay the prize money. Any match over 3 1/2 hours is a snoozefest, no matter how good the tennis is.

To be clear, I'm for the 25 second rule and I don't want to see 6 hr grindfests like the one we got in Australia in 2012, but I think saying any match over 3.5 hours is a snoozefest is a bit excessive. Were the Wimby 08 or AO 09 finals (along with plenty others) "snoozefests" then?

 

[Goosehead]

nadal is a control freak..thats why he moans about everything, stuff he cant control..he does not like it.

 

[Cup8489]

Was there the 25 second rule at Borg's time?.

Anyway, the rule was to be applied according to the criteria of umpires, and now they've taken that away favouring a style of play and perjudicing another, which is what Nadal is saying.

Plus, it gives umpires way too much influence over the results of matches, which I don't see why sports fans should ever be OK with.

It would be interesting to know how much time players like Borg and Hewitt usually took, particularly after long rallies.

No they're not. You're just being argumentative and don't have an actual argument. And the rule has ALWAYS been there. Have you not seen videos of men like McEnroe and Lendl being given point penalties for taking too long?

Or are you too busy watching Rafa 24/7 like bullzilla? And Umpires are SUPPOSED to have influence on the match, that's kinda their JOB. That's why an umpire can never be from the same country as the players, to avoid BIAS.

If you're so curious about how long Borg usually took between points, go ask the former pro section. I'm sure they're willing to help. But i can guarantee it wasn't no 40 damn seconds.

Face it, you're totally biased towards Rafa, and think that if he believes that breaking the rules is ok, then it is ok.

Fact of the matter is that it's not OK. The rule is there for a reason, and he's choosing to break it.

Not a very respectable player now, is he?

 

[woodrow1029]

yea i dont think the problem is the players i think its the umpires not enforcing it. the players are going to complain no matter what. and honestly i dont think the umpires want to give violations to nadal, djokovic, federer, etc.. because theyre likable players unlike in old times (mcenroe, connors, nastase, lendl..) it was easier to give them violations

Have you even been paying attention this year?

 

[Goosehead]

IF THE BIG FOUR WERE NUCLEAR POWERS.....then,

RAFA WOULD BE NORTH KOREA..ARGUMENTATIVE, AGGRESSIVE, A BIT OF A WORRY..AND....>>>>

<<<<No one knows whats going to happen next

 

[ark_28]

No they're not. You're just being argumentative and don't have an actual argument. And the rule has ALWAYS been there. Have you not seen videos of men like McEnroe and Lendl being given point penalties for taking too long?

Or are you too busy watching Rafa 24/7 like bullzilla? And Umpires are SUPPOSED to have influence on the match, that's kinda their JOB. That's why an umpire can never be from the same country as the players, to avoid BIAS.

If you're so curious about how long Borg usually took between points, go ask the former pro section. I'm sure they're willing to help. But i can guarantee it wasn't no 40 damn seconds.

Face it, you're totally biased towards Rafa, and think that if he believes that breaking the rules is ok, then it is ok.

Fact of the matter is that it's not OK. The rule is there for a reason, and he's choosing to break it.

Not a very respectable player now, is he?

Cuppa what is going on?? I agree with everything you say here! Rules are there for a reason players need to embrace them and adapt not try and moan when something which is done for the benefit of the sport doesn't maybe suit them personally.

 

[Tennis_Hands]

A new quote from Rafa about this:
“You have to see the third set of the U.S. Open 2011 against Djokovic, and you tell me if the crowd was very happy about what happened in that set or not, and tell me if with this new rule that can happen again,” Nadal said. “Please.”
http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2013/03/nadal-blasts-time-violation-rule-says-umpires-have-lost-their-value/46743/

Nadal probably forgot what happened in the 4th set of this match. Is that what viewers really want to see?

The hilarious thing is, that, the longer the rallies (which is the reason, why **** wants longer pauses (well, that is what he claims :roll: )) the worse for his knees that is. Then he will complain about the tournaments, the surfaces and whatnot.

The guy is thick as a *****. He never learns.

 

[vernonbc]

No they're not. You're just being argumentative and don't have an actual argument. And the rule has ALWAYS been there. Have you not seen videos of men like McEnroe and Lendl being given point penalties for taking too long?

No, the rule has NOT always been there. The rule was instituted back when McEnroe and Garulaitis and Connors and other clowns were acting out on court and taking five and ten minutes with their temper tantrums. Players were sometimes given point penalties for their unsportsmanlike conduct but not for time violations. Lendl was always extremely slow and would have a very tough time playing under current conditions.

I have to laugh at some of the commenters going on about the halcyon golden days of Borg and McEnroe. Have you not noticed that when recent games have set records for their length they're breaking the records of Borg and McEnroe set back in those days?

Face it, you're totally biased towards Rafa, and think that if he believes that breaking the rules is ok, then it is ok.

ROFL. And you're not totally biased against Rafa?????

 

[Cup8489]

No, the rule has NOT always been there. The rule was instituted back when McEnroe and Garulaitis and Connors and other clowns were acting out on court and taking five and ten minutes with their temper tantrums. Players were sometimes given point penalties for their unsportsmanlike conduct but not for time violations. Lendl was always extremely slow and would have a very tough time playing under current conditions.

I have to laugh at some of the commenters going on about the halcyon golden days of Borg and McEnroe. Have you not noticed that when recent games have set records for their length they're breaking the records of Borg and McEnroe set back in those days?


ROFL. And you're not totally biased against Rafa?????

No, I am not. He's one of my favorite players, but when he's wrong, he's wrong. That's just the way it is. Regarding your previous words, the rule has existed as long as Nadal has been a professional, so the existence of the rule in Borg's time does not affect Rafa.

In fact, it even helps my point more. Why is it that guys like Borg typically had shorter matches despite longer rallies in their time, WITHOUT the existence of this rule? Why can Rafa, or Djokovic for that matter, not follow rules that have been around since they became professionals?

Why should we throw aside old rules just because they refuse to adapt to them?

 

[Flash O'Groove]

The better option would be to allow Nadal for 60 second of rest between the point and bring back some fast and low bouncing surfaces. The time problem is a product of the surfaces problem.

 

[cknobman]

Why is wanting to follow and enforce a rule that has long existed before Rafa (or Djokovic) on the ATP tour lead to bias against them?

Is it suddenly wrong to play by the rules just because Rafa does not like them?

Gimme a freakin break

 

[Cup8489]

Why is wanting to follow and enforce a rule that has long existed before Rafa (or Djokovic) on the ATP tour lead to bias against them?

Is it suddenly wrong to play by the rules just because Rafa does not like them?

Gimme a freakin break

According to the Nadturds it is.

 

[Deleted member 3771]

Before Rafa and Joker became so good, we could always rely on guys like Fed to shank before the rallies became too long.

 

[Crisstti]

Why is wanting to follow and enforce a rule that has long existed before Rafa (or Djokovic) on the ATP tour lead to bias against them?

Is it suddenly wrong to play by the rules just because Rafa does not like them?

Gimme a freakin break

You seem to have missed the fact that the rule was recently changed. Nadal thinks it will work against the possibility of long intense rallies, and he doesn't like it. He's not the only one either. The rule as it is now could actually perjudice a style of play which wasn't the case before (against any style of play).

Rules can be changed you know?.

While that third set was just outrageously intense and a true spectacle. Look what it did to the two players. They were both destroyed for the rest of the season, and a lot has to be attributed to how brutal that third set was.

Well, who knows really. Nadal has often been in bad shape at the end of the season. And the who match was very intense anyway (well, except for the last set).

And Umpires are SUPPOSED to have influence on the match, that's kinda their JOB. That's why an umpire can never be from the same country as the players, to avoid BIAS.

No, umpires should have the least possible influence. A match should always be decided by what the PLAYERS can do, not on some technicality.

No, the rule has NOT always been there. The rule was instituted back when McEnroe and Garulaitis and Connors and other clowns were acting out on court and taking five and ten minutes with their temper tantrums. Players were sometimes given point penalties for their unsportsmanlike conduct but not for time violations. Lendl was always extremely slow and would have a very tough time playing under current conditions.

Thank you That's what I thought.