Server's partner walks off the court.

[mhatfieldwi]

In doubles tournament play, if my opponent serves to me while his/her partner is off the court retrieving an errant ball, can he/her take the point if the serve is good and I choose not to return the serve? What if it's a legitimate ace? Alternatively, if I return the serve and my return is good, can my opponent claim a hindrance and replay the point? What happens? I recently had this happen and my partner and I won the point. They claimed we showed poor sportsmanship and should replay the point. My response was that if a server puts the ball in play and I don't return it, I lose the point no matter where the server's partner chooses to be.

 

[TennisManiac]

Both players have to be on the court and in the ready position.

 

[LOBALOT]

I always enjoy these posts!! This will be a fun one!!!

My favorite was where a guy was playing indoors and he lobbed over the rafters and the ball landed in and they got into an argument as to whose point it was.

I don't want to comment yet but will just watch........ me and my drink here......... and chuckle!

 

[Creighton]

Both players have to be on the court and in the ready position.

The server's partner can stand wherever he wants.

 

[esgee48]

The player on the receiving team must both be ready before the server should serve. Best way to do this is hold their racquets in their off hand until they are in position. On the server’s side, their partner does not have to be in a ready position tho they should not be outside the playing area or touching a permanent fixture. If they are and the serve is good thus starting the point, they immediately lose the point because because they are outside the playing area or touching a permanent fixture. If server’s partner is not ready, and point legally starts, just play out the point. They cannot claim a hindrance.

 

[Max G.]

In doubles tournament play, if my opponent serves to me while his/her partner is off the court retrieving an errant ball, can he/her take the point if the serve is good and I choose not to return the serve?

I would generally say no. The serving team has to indicate to the receiving team that they are about to start the point, and the receiving team can legitimately say that they looked to the not-ready partner to see if the serving team was ready and got the indication of "no".

What if it's a legitimate ace?

If the receiver attempts to return the ball and fails, then they can't then claim they were not ready. Not sure what else you could mean by "legitimate ace".

Alternatively, if I return the serve and my return is good, can my opponent claim a hindrance and replay the point? What happens?

If they started the point, they don't get to claim they don't want to play the point. Then they've got to play it from whatever position they started it in.

I recently had this happen and my partner and I won the point. They claimed we showed poor sportsmanship and should replay the point. My response was that if a server puts the ball in play and I don't return it, I lose the point no matter where the server's partner chooses to be.

I think the two legitimate options here are either
1. Receiver attempts to return the ball and the point is played out to its conclusion, win or lose, regardless if this is in one shot (service winner) or multiple shots.
2. Receiver does not attempt to return the ball because they are not ready (because they are waiting for the serving team to be ready). That ball does not count for anything, server gets another serve instead.

Serving team does NOT get to serve the ball and then decide that they weren't ready to play after all.

 

[mhatfieldwi]

Max G no wonder you are a legend! Thanks for your reply, can't argue with anything you asserted.

 

[stapletonj]

My partner usually has me go sit on the bench during big points.

 

[mhatfieldwi]

My wife does that to me in real life.

 

[PaddyDutch]

I always enjoy these posts!! This will be a fun one!!!

My favorite was where a guy was playing indoors and he lobbed over the rafters and the ball landed in and they got into an argument as to whose point it was.

I don't want to comment yet but will just watch........ me and my drink here......... and chuckle!

I’m waiting for when the book comes out.

absolutely love these wild scenarios. It’s like the X-files

 

[Steady Eddy]

The server's partner can stand wherever he wants.

Can he stand on the opponents side of the court?

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

Can he stand on the opponents side of the court?

No:

Case 5: In doubles, where are the server’s partner and receiver’s partner allowed to stand?

Decision: The server’s partner and the receiver’s partner may take any position on their own side of the net, inside or outside the court. However, if a player is creating a hindrance to the opponent(s), the hindrance rule should be used.

I wasn't aware of the bolded part. I know a guy who stands in his partner's service box when the partner is receiving. It throws a lot of servers off. I'm surprised no one has tried to deliberately hit him by serving behind him [rather than at him].

 

[jimmy8]

The server made a boo boo, then tried to claim he gets to replay the point because he's an entitled little child. If you're too stupid to know where your partner is when you start serving then isn't that your own **** fault? He can attempt to win the point 1 vs 2.

 

[jimmy8]

If your opponent faked an underhand serve then immediately served overhand in this situation, then he automatically wins the point. This is in The Code. No one can argue this point, it is just fact. And it is also a democrat view. Any replies to this post will be deleted by TW staff as misinformation.

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

In doubles tournament play, if my opponent serves to me while his/her partner is off the court retrieving an errant ball, can he/her take the point if the serve is good and I choose not to return the serve? What if it's a legitimate ace? Alternatively, if I return the serve and my return is good, can my opponent claim a hindrance and replay the point? What happens? I recently had this happen and my partner and I won the point. They claimed we showed poor sportsmanship and should replay the point. My response was that if a server puts the ball in play and I don't return it, I lose the point no matter where the server's partner chooses to be.

If I was receiving and I noticed the server's partner was retrieving a ball, I'd call a let. Same as if I saw a ball rolling behind the server and he was unaware of it.

If he hit a good serve and I couldn't return it, I'm not sure there's any rule I could invoke that would force a replay. But if he insisted on taking the point, for sure I wouldn't be doing him any favors in the future.

If i hit a good return and win the point, I don't think he can claim a hindrance [ie "I just noticed my partner wasn't there"]. The receiving team might give him some slack but they're not forced to.

In your example, it sounds like the server wanted 2 chances: 1 to hit an ace/unreturnable serve and then invoke the "missing partner" clause if that didn't work.

I don't think it's poor sportsmanship to claim the point. I guess it's contextual: if he/they had been cool the entire match, I'd be more inclined to give them the let, assuming it was just an oversight. if they had been nitpicking and making multiple questionable calls [all in their favor], I'd be less inclined.

 

[Creighton]

Can he stand on the opponents side of the court?

alright. You definitely win that technicality.

 

[Steady Eddy]

alright. You definitely win that technicality.

No, I lose. I had a plan of giving the receiver a shove right as my partner serves.

 

[TTMR]

As a rec receiver I usually call an out serve in when I hit a good return off of it and out otherwise. The location of the partner would not affect my call.

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

As a rec receiver I usually call an out serve in when I hit a good return off of it and out otherwise. The location of the partner would not affect my call.

Good to see you apply the rules objectively.

 

[TTMR]

Good to see you apply the rules objectively.

Yes I do--I apply the same system regardless of who my opponent is.