The Unready Receiver's Partner

[Taxvictim]

Let's look at it this way,

if the returner hit a service return winner, I doubt the return partner will say, "Hold on, I wasn't ready!" and demand a replay.

One of thing we don't want in tennis is "2 chances".

^^^Came here to say that.

At our club, in club play, it is seriously not unusual for the server's partner to stop a point before the receiver hits the ball because the server's partner wasn't ready. (Usually an elderly member fussing with his glasses.) Everyone just chills and the server serves again. And in a USTA mixed match, I was serving, and my wife suddenly bent down to pick up a ball. The receiver demanded a let because my wife was moving. That's not kosher under the rules, but we just said okay and continued to have a really fun match with nice people.



In this case, I generally agree that Cindy had the most practical response. I don't remember where this language came from (probably Tennis magazine Court of Appeals), but once a receiver indicates readiness, he cannot change that except for outside interference.

Edited To Add: USTA Comment 21.2 says once a receiver is ready, he cannot become unready except for outside interference. In Cindy's case, there was no outside interference, so the receiver's partner was a doof to make a move after her own partner had lined up to receive serve.


Also, USTA comment 21.7 seems to be right on point here: What happens when the server observes that the receiver appears to be ready and hits the second serve in, but the receiver makes no attempt to return it? The Server wins the point if the receiver had no reason for not being ready; if the receiver was not ready because of something within the receiver’s control (broken string or contact lens problem), then the server gets two serves; and if the receiver was not ready because of some reasonable factor such as clearing the errant first serve or a ball from an adjacent court, then the server gets one serve. If the time to clear the ball from the adjacent court is so prolonged as to constitute an interruption, good sportsmanship requires the receiver to offer the server two serves.

According to that rule, even if the receiver had refused to attempt a return because the receiver was suddenly unready because of something in her team's control (her partner), then she has no legit reason for not being ready. It's two serves. Yes, the partner was clearing the first serve, but she delayed in doing that until after her partner had signaled readiness to receive, so it was too late to go back to unreadiness.

 

[Cindysphinx]

The fun thing about this board is that once some weird thing happens, I start noticing how other people play.

Today I played 4.0 ladies dubs. There was an instance when my partner served before the receiver was ready. It was a second serve. It hit the curtain and slowly rebounded. All three players yelled, "Whoa!", but my partner served anyway. Receiver caught it, and second serve was replayed (it gets loud in those bubbles).

I also noticed how our opponents cleared balls by the net. In every instance, they walked forward, cleared the ball, and walked backward to the service line. No one turned her back to do this.

So there's a small scientific survey for ya.

 

[Bedrock]

Had kind of an icky match today.

Opponents started out the match by hooking us a few times on the center service line. We didn't make a big deal, but I filed these ladies under "Folks I've Decided I Don't Care For."

Then my partner was serving. She missed a first serve, but returner had hit it into the net. Receiver's partner strolled up to the net to clear the ball. She then turned her back and started walking back to the service line.

As her back was turned, my partner served. The receiver hesitated, then popped the ball over the net. The receiver's partner then said, "Hold on, I wasn't ready!"

I said, "Your partner was ready and she returned the ball which proves she was ready. There is nothing in the rules that says you have to be ready. So -- "

"MY BACK WAS TURNED! SHE'S SUPPOSED TO LOOK UP BEFORE SHE SERVES. SHE NEVER LOOKED UP!!"

"Look. It should be loss of point because there was a point in progress and your talking while the ball was on its way to us was a hindrance. Instead, let's play a let. First serve, then?"

The lady then grumbled something inaudible and declined to repeat it when I asked what she said. I think they were unhappy that my partner got a first serve.

Man. I hate it when you cut someone a break and they still have a 'tude.

Let was right.
Second serve (not the first one).

 

[tennis_ocd]

I also noticed how our opponents cleared balls by the net. In every instance, they walked forward, cleared the ball, and walked backward to the service line. No one turned her back to do this.

So there's a small scientific survey for ya.

After reading this thread I wouldn't turn my back on you and your partner either.

 

[AtomicForehand]

After reading this thread I wouldn't turn my back on you and your partner either.

That's a pretty doosh thing to say.

 

[drewbud]

After reading this thread I wouldn't turn my back on you and your partner either.

This is an interesting thread...I think it's relevant that the return was over the net (presumably in?) and that the returner's partner said something right away to end the point. Had the return not gone over the net, then you would definitely have more of a claim of doing them a favor on a replay. In my opinion the right thing to do would be for Cyndi to acknowledge that the returner's partner was not ready (since it was probably most obvious to her) and do a replay of the second serve. Do you really want to take advantage of the fact that one of your opponents was not ready - I do see a safety aspect to the situation - which really should take presidence over everything. I can understand how it would be hard to see it this way after the hooking , but it would be the right thing to do.

 

[tennis tom]

After reading this thread I wouldn't turn my back on you and your partner either.

That's a pretty doosh thing to say.

Do you mean ****** or doosh?


http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=doosh

Oh I see the problem now, you can't say ****** here--oh tennis is so yuppie--whatever happened to yuppies anyway?