So I recently played a usta men's double match. in the middle of the first set, the opponent questioned two of our calls--I had called two close serves out. They looked out to me. My partner didn't overrule me.
one of the opponents was mumbling under his breath, something about "hooking me". My first mistake was to say "What are you saying I can't hear you" and then he said, you hooked us on two points, I am on to you. then he slammed a ball into the net. We switched sides, then I slammed a ball into the ground, and it bounced over to their side and I said "I can slam balls too". And he said "At least I don't cheat". so I was basically very angry the whole rest of the match, which we lost. When I served next, for a couple of balls I served out, I looked at them and basically said "really, you are going to call that out?"---I was playing tit for tat. It was very unpleasant, and I didn't shake their hands, feeling that if they are going to call me a cheater, they didn't deserve a hand shake. as I was sitting on the bench, I told the guy that questioning a call is fine, but calling a guy a cheater because of 2 calls is an ****hole move, we argued some more, and I walked off.
About half hour later we were in the clubhouse watching the last match finishing up, the guy came up to me and apologized for what he said. I apologized back for ramping up the situation, and we shook hands. I also shook hands with his partner and apologized.
I felt pretty rotten. even though I thought I was justified, I was dumb to ramp up the situation. When the guy was mumbling under his breath, I should have just ignored him. When he said I hooked him twice, I should have just said, I saw the balls out, and ended it there. I haven't blown up on the courts for a couple of years now, and hopefully I won't again for a few more years. Lesson hopefully learned.
one of the opponents was mumbling under his breath, something about "hooking me". My first mistake was to say "What are you saying I can't hear you" and then he said, you hooked us on two points, I am on to you. then he slammed a ball into the net. We switched sides, then I slammed a ball into the ground, and it bounced over to their side and I said "I can slam balls too". And he said "At least I don't cheat". so I was basically very angry the whole rest of the match, which we lost. When I served next, for a couple of balls I served out, I looked at them and basically said "really, you are going to call that out?"---I was playing tit for tat. It was very unpleasant, and I didn't shake their hands, feeling that if they are going to call me a cheater, they didn't deserve a hand shake. as I was sitting on the bench, I told the guy that questioning a call is fine, but calling a guy a cheater because of 2 calls is an ****hole move, we argued some more, and I walked off.
About half hour later we were in the clubhouse watching the last match finishing up, the guy came up to me and apologized for what he said. I apologized back for ramping up the situation, and we shook hands. I also shook hands with his partner and apologized.
I felt pretty rotten. even though I thought I was justified, I was dumb to ramp up the situation. When the guy was mumbling under his breath, I should have just ignored him. When he said I hooked him twice, I should have just said, I saw the balls out, and ended it there. I haven't blown up on the courts for a couple of years now, and hopefully I won't again for a few more years. Lesson hopefully learned.