Squeaking for a Double Fault

[Cindysphinx]

I had a weird thing happen in my 7.5 combo match last night.

We split sets and were playing a match tiebreak. I was serving at 8-9, and I hadn't been serving especially well. Big time pressure.

As I bounced the ball three times as part of my service routine, I heard loud squeaking. I looked up. The opposing net player was not at her usual position near the T. She was right up close to the net. The squeaking sound was her shuffling her feet.

I re-started my service routine with the three bounces, and again I heard the squeaking. I stopped and looked. She was shuffling her feet again. Not moving or actually changing position, mind you. Just squeaking her shoes back and forth. I hesitated and said, "Are you ready?" She didn't reply.

I re-started my three-bounce routine and again heard squeaking. I bounced the ball three times. Then three more times. Then I just kept bouncing, and she kept squeaking. Hey, we play timed matches. I guess if I had to stand there bouncing the ball for the next 20 minutes we would win the match that way.

Finally the squeaking stopped, I served a first serve and we went on to win the tiebreak 11-9.

My question: What would you have done? Are any of you Squeakers?

Cindy -- who thinks that sort of thing is Seriously Bush League

 

[OrangePower]

Agreed it's bush league.

Having said that I don't think it would have bothered me. I can pretty much tune that kind of stuff out. So I would have just gone ahead and served as normal. I would think less of the opponent though.

 

[SweetH2O]

Agreed it's bush league.

Having said that I don't think it would have bothered me. I can pretty much tune that kind of stuff out. So I would have just gone ahead and served as normal. I would think less of the opponent though.

This.

10squeaks

 

[Maui19]

Cindy -- who thinks that sort of thing is Seriously Bush League

Bush league for sure. I'm not sure what I would have done. I'm unpredictable. I probably would have ignored it. Or I might have glared and stalled. I might have said something about it. Or I might have drilled the net player with my first serve if they had proven themselves a jerk earlier.

At any rate, squeaking for the purpose of distracting the server is against the rules, isn't it?

 

[Tammo]

Do a Robert Kendrick?

 

[redbirdone]

bush league and someone who needs to get a life

 

[beernutz]

Next time Squeaky Fromme starts up her classless act, imo hit your hardest serve right at her breadbasket.

 

[tennis tom]

It's against the rules to deliberately distract your opponents. Sounds like a 3.5 ignorant of the rules.

"Waving the racquet, making noises or stomping the feet is not permitted by any player." from USTA site.

 

[Seth]

Real bush league. Sounds like someone in need a well-placed volley to the mid-section.

 

[gameboy]

The B!TCH MUST DIE!!!

Seriously, I probably would not have even noticed. Even if I did, who cares?

You can't really call hindrance on something that is common as sneaker squeaking. I like to take a forward hop to get myself ready on every serve return. I don't make much noise, but somebody else could. Just because it makes noise does not mean it is hindrance. You would have to prove that the movement (resulting in squeak) has no relevance to the match. That is going to be pretty hard to argue.

 

[dcdoorknob]

After the 2nd time (when it's obviously intentional), I'd probably just stop again, look straight at the player and say "really?"

But then after that I'd likely just take a second to collect my focus again, ignore the expected future squeaking, and then go ahead and serve.

I do agree that the real intent of the squeaking seems fairly clearly to be distraction, which isn't within the rules. IDK how you'd enforce it in that situation though.

 

[spaceman_spiff]

Several years ago, my brother and I played a tournament match against a pair with a guy who did that the entire match. It didn't bother me so much, but it got on my brother's nerves. Eventually, my brother threw in the underhand drop serve and, when the guy popped up the return, I smashed it at his feet from just the other side of the net.

That put a stop to it.

 

[floridatennisdude]

I had a weird thing happen in my 7.5 combo match last night.

We split sets and were playing a match tiebreak. I was serving at 8-9, and I hadn't been serving especially well. Big time pressure.

As I bounced the ball three times as part of my service routine, I heard loud squeaking. I looked up. The opposing net player was not at her usual position near the T. She was right up close to the net. The squeaking sound was her shuffling her feet.

I re-started my service routine with the three bounces, and again I heard the squeaking. I stopped and looked. She was shuffling her feet again. Not moving or actually changing position, mind you. Just squeaking her shoes back and forth. I hesitated and said, "Are you ready?" She didn't reply.

I re-started my three-bounce routine and again heard squeaking. I bounced the ball three times. Then three more times. Then I just kept bouncing, and she kept squeaking. Hey, we play timed matches. I guess if I had to stand there bouncing the ball for the next 20 minutes we would win the match that way.

Finally the squeaking stopped, I served a first serve and we went on to win the tiebreak 11-9.

My question: What would you have done? Are any of you Squeakers?

Cindy -- who thinks that sort of thing is Seriously Bush League

"Newnan.....miss it, miss it, miss it....Newnan...miss it...ahhhhhhh!!!"

 

[beernutz]

There is a player ay my club who will try this stunt to distract a server. He doesn't squeak his shoes but shuffles his feet while taking a step or two around the T. The thing is, I've been on a team with him before and when he does this it is quite distracting as the receiver especially when facing a good server. Myself and other partners have asked him to stop but he is either too stubborn or too forgetful to do so.

 

[813wilson]

Cindy,

Bush league for sure. Can't say if I would of done something - if as you said it was - probably so....

Similar to Spaceman's commemts - and you wouldn't want to risk it at that point of your match but, I played a 4.0 men's league match a few years ago and my partner was one of the better servers in the league. We were way up in the match, won the 1st set 6-2 and were up 4-1, 40-love in the second. One opponent had been, for a couple of games by now, been doing what you described. Specifically, he moved from a standard position at net to a very close to the net and center line and would shuffle his feet. Well, my partner had had all he wanted of that and served right at him. Hit him in the left arm.... Finished the set and my partner said one of the best hand shake comments I've ever heard.

"If your skill can't beat me, please don't cheat to beat me...."

 

[J_R_B]

Cindy,

Bush league for sure. Can't say if I would of done something - if as you said it was - probably so....

Similar to Spaceman's commemts - and you wouldn't want to risk it at that point of your match but, I played a 4.0 men's league match a few years ago and my partner was one of the better servers in the league. We were way up in the match, won the 1st set 6-2 and were up 4-1, 40-love in the second. One opponent had been, for a couple of games by now, been doing what you described. Specifically, he moved from a standard position at net to a very close to the net and center line and would shuffle his feet. Well, my partner had had all he wanted of that and served right at him. Hit him in the left arm.... Finished the set and my partner said one of the best hand shake comments I've ever heard.

"If your skill can't beat me, please don't cheat to beat me...."

LOL. I hope he claimed the point when he hit the guy, too.

 

[slice bh compliment]

I asked Charles Barkley about this. He replied, "White People Problems."

Kidding. The squeaking is no big deal.
But, great job winning those last three points!
I asked Snoop Dogg about you winning those last 3 points and he said you was 'the truth!'

 

[origmarm]

This is a tough one sometimes as they are allowed to move all they want, just not "stomp". Sometime it's obvious, sometimes not so much. If they had been squeaking and stepping side to side for example i.e. moving, then what? For me that's annoying but legal. What about the little "fast feet" people do preparing to receive?

I think it's clear sometimes what they're doing but much harder to call them on it

 

[Cindysphinx]

The B!TCH MUST DIE!!!

Seriously, I probably would not have even noticed. Even if I did, who cares?

You can't really call hindrance on something that is common as sneaker squeaking. I like to take a forward hop to get myself ready on every serve return. I don't make much noise, but somebody else could. Just because it makes noise does not mean it is hindrance. You would have to prove that the movement (resulting in squeak) has no relevance to the match. That is going to be pretty hard to argue.

The reason I think it was done solely to distract was:

1. She hadn't done it before.

2. She had changed her position (moving up to the net rather than back by the service line.

3. She was not the receiver, nor the server's partner. I can see why these players might be shuffling their feet. I cannot think of a legitimate reason why the receiver's partner would be shuffling her feet (rather than feinting with the body) other than an attempt to distract.

We play indoors, and this was a large bubble. It is very hard to hear anything, and I don't have especially good hearing. This was some serious squeaking.

 

[tennis tom]

My question: What would you have done? Are any of you Squeakers?

No, I lube up prior. Next time ask, "Are you sure?".

 

[Cindysphinx]

But, great job winning those last three points!

Heh, heh.

I have kept the moonballing to a minimum this season. At 4.0, people can handle it, especially if I do it repeatedly and they know to expect it.

At 9-9, I decided it was time to break out the moonball. I hit one with as much topspin as I could to The Squeaker at the baseline. She backed up, jumped as high as she could, stumbled into the back curtain, couldn't touch it.

I think I might have heard a squeak or two.

I asked Snoop Dogg about you winning those last 3 points and he said you was 'the truth!'

You, sir, are uber-cool. Sadly, Snoop doesn't know what "uber" is.

 

[NoQuarter]

How was she making the squeeking noise? Only way that she could be doing it and not be doing it on purpose would be coming forward really quick and stopping fast by shuffling. Or if she had some old Nike Airs with the bubble burst out (I had a pair that did that!). She had to be moonwalking or something!!! In the old days, we would send a warning shot right over the head.

 

[cknobman]

This has happened to me before and I fell into the trap big-time. I let the squeaking bother me so badly I practically double faulted my service game.

I was furious but my partner talked me into letting it go. My next service game the opponent did it again and I just blew up. Starting yelling at them and telling them just how pathetic I thought they were.

The opponent abruptly stopped squeaking immediately. I think I got so mad they may have thought I was going to do something dangerous.

 

[Cindysphinx]

How was she making the squeeking noise? Only way that she could be doing it and not be doing it on purpose would be coming forward really quick and stopping fast by shuffling. Or if she had some old Nike Airs with the bubble burst out (I had a pair that did that!). She had to be moonwalking or something!!! In the old days, we would send a warning shot right over the head.

She was standing at the net and moving her feet back and forth. So kind of jumping in place but alternating the shoes a few inches back and forth.

You know, I had my own partner scold me for this recently.

My partner was serving, and I was at the net. Recently, I have been trying to fake more, poach more, be more of a threat. I do this by trying to start the point from different positions and moving in unpredictable ways. Like, I will start with one foot in the alley and then start moving sideways when I anticipate the serve will soon be struck. Or I will start in the middle and move sideways. Or start back and move close. Or just just shuffle side to side and then split when the receiver makes contact. Something, anything to give them different looks (and make them lob, because this particular partner S&V and crushes high balls).

Well, my partner was serving and I decided to do one of these elaborate fakes. After the point, my partner came up and said don't do that anymore. She said it was distracting to *her.* I said I didn't understand how any of my movement could be distracting to her because she should be looking at the toss and hitting the serve. She said she could see me out of her peripheral vision so I should stay still. So I stopped.

Weird. If anything, I find it bothersome and annoying that my partners stand like statutes at the net and never fake. When I am serving, they could be doing handstands and I wouldn't see them.

 

[sureshs]

I asked Charles Barkley about this. He replied, "White People Problems."

Then Barkley has not met Cindy

 

[BlakeAF]

Really lame. My old doubles partner did this exact thing on opponents serves in big points, shuffling his feet. It got in my head and annoyed me more than the server. They usually served fine and I would make the error feeling like a ******bag for having him do this. I have no idea where he got it from, but something like this is just stupid. Win the point the right way.

 

[struggle]

moreso, i hate the fools who like to stand right at the center line/service line (net-person). I usually go for bombs down the T in this situation. it is obviously done to create a nuisance...

 

[spot]

Ignore it the first time. After the second time when the point is done ask her if she is aware that what she is doing is considered a hindrance where you could claim the point if you wished to.

 

[NoQuarter]

moreso, i hate the fools who like to stand right at the center line/service line (net-person). I usually go for bombs down the T in this situation. it is obviously done to create a nuisance...

I see you are from western NC...you are probably speaking about my (former) doubles partner. He's a legendary nuisance.

 

[LuckyR]

How did the handshakes at the net go?

 

[Power Player]

Curious.

Would it bug you if the returner stood in the box to return your serves?

 

[buruan]

I havent played a lot of league tennis.
But in situations like this, wouldnt it be prudent to give the opponents the benefit of the doubt?

Why would the first assumption be gamesmanship rather than ignorance.

I, apparently, was moving around during my opponents service motion, he asked me to stop it, and I did.
I never realized i did that.

Now, i dont know If I am entitled to do so or not, but that doesnt really matter, it wasnt a big deal for me to change, and I wanted myself and my opponent to have a pleasant playing experience.

Maybe many of these situations can be resolved with a simple "Pretty please?"

Then again, most here will probably have played much much more than I have and did actually encounter maliciousness on the other side.

 

[AceKing]

I havent played a lot of league tennis.
But in situations like this, wouldnt it be prudent to give the opponents the benefit of the doubt?

Why would the first assumption be gamesmanship rather than ignorance.

I, apparently, was moving around during my opponents service motion, he asked me to stop it, and I did.
I never realized i did that.

Now, i dont know If I am entitled to do so or not, but that doesnt really matter, it wasnt a big deal for me to change, and I wanted myself and my opponent to have a pleasant playing experience.

Maybe many of these situations can be resolved with a simple "Pretty please?"

Then again, most here will probably have played much much more than I have and did actually encounter maliciousness on the other side.

As described, it sounds like this was clearly deliberate. Sneaker-Squeaking during an opponent's serve motion is a pretty well known distraction tactic. Added to the fact is the first occurrence was at 8-9 in the Match TB.
Definitely gamesmanship.
My 1st instinct would be to blast a serve straight at the offender.

 

[Cindysphinx]

I, apparently, was moving around during my opponents service motion, he asked me to stop it, and I did.
I never realized i did that.

Now, i dont know If I am entitled to do so or not, but that doesnt really matter, it wasnt a big deal for me to change, and I wanted myself and my opponent to have a pleasant playing experience.

Maybe many of these situations can be resolved with a simple "Pretty please?"

If you were "moving around" during your opponent's service motion in singles, you were completely within your rights. The Code says a player may change position at any time, including feinting with the body.

If you were "moving around" during your opponent's service motion when your partner was receiving, I still think this is OK. You could certainly stand in no-man's land and walk forward during the service motion, for instance.

If you start making noises for the sake of distraction, that's not cool.

If my opponent told me not to move around while receiving serve, or while at net hoping to poach, I would decline the request, even if she said pretty please.

 

[dcdoorknob]

I havent played a lot of league tennis.
But in situations like this, wouldnt it be prudent to give the opponents the benefit of the doubt?

Why would the first assumption be gamesmanship rather than ignorance.

I, apparently, was moving around during my opponents service motion, he asked me to stop it, and I did.
I never realized i did that.

Now, i dont know If I am entitled to do so or not, but that doesnt really matter, it wasnt a big deal for me to change, and I wanted myself and my opponent to have a pleasant playing experience.

Maybe many of these situations can be resolved with a simple "Pretty please?"

Then again, most here will probably have played much much more than I have and did actually encounter maliciousness on the other side.

I generally like to give people the benefit of the doubt (maybe moreso than others on here, through previous discussions), but as others have mentioned, that just doesn't seem to be a reasonable assumption here. If this person was doing this the whole match, then maybe you have a point. But she hadn 't done it once and then, at 8-9 in the TB, the squeaks start coming. That's a bit of a large coincidence, don't you think? Plus, it's from the opposing net player, who can't possibly hit the ball until the 4th shot of the rally, so why would she need to be shuffling her feet frantically before the server has even tossed the ball up?

 

[catfish]

The shoe squeaking on purpose is definitely bush league. I think you handled it well.

I would have ignored it, but hidden my irritation. I rarely say anything to anyone about bush league behavior, but sometimes I wish I had. I don't run into it very often in 4.5 women's or 9.0 mixed, but I do see it at 7.5 combo and 8.0 mixed. It's usually 3.5 players, to be honest.

I play 8.0 mixed with a 3.5 male partner. A few weeks ago we played another 4.5 woman / 3.5 male team. The 3.5 male opponent kept hitting balls at my back rather than hitting them directly to me or my partner. (When gathering loose balls and he had to give them to us to serve.) It was a little ridiculous. When one hit me in the back of the head as I was walking back to the baseline I tried to make a point by saying "Where did this ball come from? The other court? It hit me in the back of the head when I wasn't looking." My partner started laughing. The male opponent didn't say anything and his female partner just acted like she didn't know what was going on. I figure he was trying to rattle me.

 

[buruan]

Ha Ha.
I guess this league Tennis thing will never be something for me.
My only response to deliberate gamesmanship is to walk off, and never play that person again. I don't have enough time to play as is, why waste it when its not fun.

Of course in leagues, when others are depending on you, you cant do that.

I guess since I have never been in the situation like this, ill buy that it was deliberate.

Luckily here in NYC there are so many players that you can cherry pick the nice ones.

 

[catfish]

Ha Ha.
I guess this league Tennis thing will never be something for me.
My only response to deliberate gamesmanship is to walk off, and never play that person again. I don't have enough time to play as is, why waste it when its not fun.

Of course in leagues, when others are depending on you, you cant do that.

I guess since I have never been in the situation like this, ill buy that it was deliberate.

Luckily here in NYC there are so many players that you can cherry pick the nice ones.

As I mentioned, I don't run into it very often. But I do enjoy ignoring it and beating the people who act that way. Sometimes I feel like I should have said something after the match, but I rarely acknowledge the behavior.

I think most league players are honest, make good line calls, and have good attitudes. But a few bad ones ruin it for the rest of us sometimes.

 

[jmnk]

bush league for sure. I mean, are you Djokovic to have to bounce the ball over 15 times (if I followed your post right) before you serve?

 

[olliess]

If she's standing right on the net, I'd try extra hard to hit the first serve in and see how she handles the first volley off the return.

 

[olliess]

bush league for sure. I mean, are you Djokovic to have to bounce the ball over 15 times (if I followed your post right) before you serve?

Personally I lose count sometimes around 10–12 and have to start over.

 

[purple-n-gold]

playing league doubles a couple of yrs ago the opposing team's net gut would beat on his shoes between our 1st and 2nd serves(clay courts), kind of comical almost but bush-league for sure...

 

[mhj202]

It's interesting to me that the almost unanimous sentiment in this thread is so much against the receiving team and, more specifically, against the net player (non-receiving player) on the receiving team.

I agree that if the receiving team net player's only/main intent was to create a hindrance/distraction, then that's wrong but I think that would be hard to prove/assert especially at that stage of the match.

What if, however, the receiving team net player either (1) had been generally very active with his/her feet throughout the match but the server hadn't noticed until that point (perhaps because of the importance of that juncture in the match it made the server nervous and hypersensitive), or (2) intentionally is more active during important points to get himself/herself ready and moving, etc.? If either (1) or (2) was true, would you believe that the receiving team net player could/should be called for hindrance?

For #2 above, would that be any different than certain top women players that seem to grunt/shriek more loudly on important points?

 

[slice bh compliment]

Nice points. You are probably alredy taking into account the tendency to empathize with the OP.
Or not empathize with the OP (this is the internet after all).

I think, in general, people empathize with the person who is doing more of the communicating.

I'm sure the Squeaker is not on here garnering any followers, LOL!

 

[catfish]

It's interesting to me that the almost unanimous sentiment in this thread is so much against the receiving team and, more specifically, against the net player (non-receiving player) on the receiving team.

I agree that if the receiving team net player's only/main intent was to create a hindrance/distraction, then that's wrong but I think that would be hard to prove/assert especially at that stage of the match.

What if, however, the receiving team net player either (1) had been generally very active with his/her feet throughout the match but the server hadn't noticed until that point (perhaps because of the importance of that juncture in the match it made the server nervous and hypersensitive), or (2) intentionally is more active during important points to get himself/herself ready and moving, etc.? If either (1) or (2) was true, would you believe that the receiving team net player could/should be called for hindrance?

For #2 above, would that be any different than certain top women players that seem to grunt/shriek more loudly on important points?

The OP mentioned that the shoe squeaker had not been squeaking her shoes until that point in the match. That's what made it obvious.

 

[struggle]

I see you are from western NC...you are probably speaking about my (former) doubles partner. He's a legendary nuisance.

perhaps.....hard tellin'

 

[beernutz]

Ha Ha.
I guess this league Tennis thing will never be something for me.
My only response to deliberate gamesmanship is to walk off, and never play that person again. I don't have enough time to play as is, why waste it when its not fun.

Of course in leagues, when others are depending on you, you cant do that.

I guess since I have never been in the situation like this, ill buy that it was deliberate.

Luckily here in NYC there are so many players that you can cherry pick the nice ones.

I wouldn't be so quick to judge all league players just by the actions of a few outliers/misfits.

I think a better response to gamesmanship is to beat that person so bad his ancestors in the old country will feel it.

 

[Cindysphinx]

Sure, it is possible that it wasn't her intent to distract. I mean, she might have gotten a rock in her shoe.

I think if you suspect blatant gamesmanship, it is appropriate to address it in a manner commensurate with the level of stupidity.

Simply choosing not to serve until conditions were appropriate seemed to be a mild but legitimate way to handle it. Confronting her would have brought an innocent denial, a continuation of the behavior, and the satisfaction of knowing I noticed.

What if I had DF, though? It would have been tempting to say something when the match was over, but it would have sounded like making excuses. I think Catfish has the right idea that it is kind of hard to confront Ms. Bush League during or after the match.

 

[mhj202]

Sure, it is possible that it wasn't her intent to distract. I mean, she might have gotten a rock in her shoe.

I think if you suspect blatant gamesmanship, it is appropriate to address it in a manner commensurate with the level of stupidity.

Simply choosing not to serve until conditions were appropriate seemed to be a mild but legitimate way to handle it. Confronting her would have brought an innocent denial, a continuation of the behavior, and the satisfaction of knowing I noticed.

What if I had DF, though? It would have been tempting to say something when the match was over, but it would have sounded like making excuses. I think Catfish has the right idea that it is kind of hard to confront Ms. Bush League during or after the match.

Though I'm not condoning the intentional gamesmanship/hindrance, I'm still amazed by the high-level of sensitivity among those who have posted in this thread-- maybe I'm just de-sensitized to it all because it was relatively commonplace in high school and college tennis and the squeaky shoe thing seems pretty tame compared to some of the things I've seen happen on the court in competitive tennis.

 

[sureshs]

it is kind of hard to confront Ms. Bush League during or after the match.

Can we stop using this term when referring to females? It is bothering me.