Beacon Hill
Hall of Fame
I believe it was four years ago this spring. The USTA sent me there to train under John Wong and work at the event.
Tennis Officiating Is A Farce
- Thread starter Beacon Hill
- Start date
Beacon Hill
Hall of Fame
A point was unfairly taken away from Mathieu in his first round match against Dimitrov in Rotterdam. In the second set tie break, Dimitrov gave up on a ball he thought was going out on the baseline, half volleying it wide. After he made contact, the line umpire made an incorrect out call. After a challenge, the ball was declared in, but the point was replayed.
So not only did Dimitrov give up on the play, he was in no way hindered by the out call. Yet, the point was replayed. After the match, the players argued about what happened. With a simple replay system in place, the correct decision could have been made, and all of this controversy avoided.
http://www.tennisnow.com/News/2015/February/Dimitrov-Saves-Two-Match-Points-to-Defeat-Mathieu.aspx
So not only did Dimitrov give up on the play, he was in no way hindered by the out call. Yet, the point was replayed. After the match, the players argued about what happened. With a simple replay system in place, the correct decision could have been made, and all of this controversy avoided.
http://www.tennisnow.com/News/2015/February/Dimitrov-Saves-Two-Match-Points-to-Defeat-Mathieu.aspx
Beacon Hill
Hall of Fame
Another controversy that could have been easily avoided if tennis had a simple video review system in place.
http://www.lematin.ch/sports/tennis/Lin-Zhu-ou-la-mauvaise-foi/story/26210847
http://www.lematin.ch/sports/tennis/Lin-Zhu-ou-la-mauvaise-foi/story/26210847
Beacon Hill
Hall of Fame
Throughout the French Open, there have been several more incorrect calls, all of which could have been avoided if tennis implemented a simple instant replay system.
In the Williams vs Azarenka match, a point was incorrectly replayed when an incorrect out call came well after Serena failed to return Azarenka's shot. Instead of Azarenka serving at 5-5 deuce, with momentum on her side after coming back from triple break point down, Azarenka had to serve at 5-5 30-40, forced to save a fourth break point in a row immediately after knowing she had been cheated out of a point that was rightfully hers.
In the Tsonga vs Nishikori match, Nishikori was serving at 1-5 15-40 in the second set when Tsonga missed a service return just as the line umpire was making an incorrect out call. The point was not replayed, and Nishikori, who looked dejected and on the verge of losing that game and the second set, went on to win the game. After a lengthy delay because of debris falling from the stadium roof, Nishikori won two more games and came close to getting back on serve in the second set. He used that momentum to win the third and fourth set. How different would the match have been if, before the disruption in play, Tsonga was up two sets to love and serving first in the third set?
In the Federer vs Wawrinka match, a point was not replayed when an incorrect out call was made as Federer was hitting a ground stroke in the third set tie break. Instead of the point being replayed, Federer lost the point to go down a mini-break, and never recovered.
It is impossible to eliminate officiating errors, and this is not a criticism of umpires (to be fair, players make far more mistakes than umpires do.) But why not introduce a simple replay challenge system for these situations, and get the call right?
In the Williams vs Azarenka match, a point was incorrectly replayed when an incorrect out call came well after Serena failed to return Azarenka's shot. Instead of Azarenka serving at 5-5 deuce, with momentum on her side after coming back from triple break point down, Azarenka had to serve at 5-5 30-40, forced to save a fourth break point in a row immediately after knowing she had been cheated out of a point that was rightfully hers.
In the Tsonga vs Nishikori match, Nishikori was serving at 1-5 15-40 in the second set when Tsonga missed a service return just as the line umpire was making an incorrect out call. The point was not replayed, and Nishikori, who looked dejected and on the verge of losing that game and the second set, went on to win the game. After a lengthy delay because of debris falling from the stadium roof, Nishikori won two more games and came close to getting back on serve in the second set. He used that momentum to win the third and fourth set. How different would the match have been if, before the disruption in play, Tsonga was up two sets to love and serving first in the third set?
In the Federer vs Wawrinka match, a point was not replayed when an incorrect out call was made as Federer was hitting a ground stroke in the third set tie break. Instead of the point being replayed, Federer lost the point to go down a mini-break, and never recovered.
It is impossible to eliminate officiating errors, and this is not a criticism of umpires (to be fair, players make far more mistakes than umpires do.) But why not introduce a simple replay challenge system for these situations, and get the call right?
I agree that umpiring is terribly flawed, but here's the thing - NOTHING WILL CHANGE !!!
And the reason is simple - Tennis, like most other sports now, is entertainment and no longer sport. Throw all rules out - the ONLY rule that matters is how to generate more money.
And thus drugs, biased umpiring, favoring top players, all of this will continue to happen. It goes on in every other sport and unless you are lucky or connected, you are always going to be on the losing end.
And the reason is simple - Tennis, like most other sports now, is entertainment and no longer sport. Throw all rules out - the ONLY rule that matters is how to generate more money.
And thus drugs, biased umpiring, favoring top players, all of this will continue to happen. It goes on in every other sport and unless you are lucky or connected, you are always going to be on the losing end.
I like the idea on timeouts. You get a certain number of timeouts..you use them at your own discretion....to stop another players momentum, or because you are actually hurt....if you are too injured to play you lose the match. That's it. Using medical timeouts to stop another players momentum is happening way too often. The time violation rules should be strictly enforced from the first point of the match, every match, every umpire, for every player, and then the nonsense would stop.
Beacon Hill
Hall of Fame
Did someone suggest there was? Or are there suggestions on how to improve things so the game will be better?
Beacon Hill
Hall of Fame
Agreed. But I actually think some of these things would make the game more popular, and thus more profitable. A shot clock, for instance would add drama on each point.
Beacon Hill
Hall of Fame
Agreed. And if players want to towel off after a point, they need to get their own towels. Do whatever you want in your 20-25 seconds, but the continuous play rule needs to be strictly and uniformly enforced.
Beacon Hill
Hall of Fame
They would likely be used for injury or bathroom breaks, but a players could take one to compose themselves, have a longer rest, or even break the momentum of opponents. They key would be they are legal and players could leave the court if they chose. There would be no more pretending you have to go to the bathroom, or have an "injury" treated while your opponent waits for an unspecified time. And I suppose no more playing with a (possible) injury because you don't want to be accused of gamesmanship.
Beacon Hill
Hall of Fame
I don't understand what you mean by "do all that and pretend as well". There would be no need to pretend - each player simply gets an allotted number of timeouts and that's it.
I agree people want continuity. This achieves that. No more 10+ minute delays for medical time outs. Part of the problem now is the opponent never knows how long the wait will be. If it was defined at, say, three or five minutes, everyone knows what to expect.
Bartelby
Bionic Poster
If someone takes their alloted time out and gets an injury or starts vomiting they'll have to be allowed 'time out', it seems to me, so they can very well pretend.
Match tournament organisers want the show to go on so they are not going to see a matched stopped because someone used up their 'time outs'.
Match tournament organisers want the show to go on so they are not going to see a matched stopped because someone used up their 'time outs'.
Beacon Hill
Hall of Fame
Matches get stopped all the time because someone is injured, so currently, the show does not always go on. And there is already a limit on the number of medical time outs that can be taken, so, again, the show does not always go on. My suggestion just improves the current situation, making it uniform and fair.
