This is the broadcast feed of the fourth and final game of the highly-charged April 15th PST Albany Open Final between John White and Bradley Ball.
Highlights:
Ball is up 2-1 in games.
White goes down 9-3 in the fourth but grinds his way back to 9-all.
At 9-all, White makes a bad error and breaks his racquet on his leg.
White saves a match point and gets to 12-11, and in the ensuing rally he is awarded a game-ending stroke.
Ball challenges the call and the PST appeal judges rule the point to Ball, changing the score from 13-11 to 12-all.
White is penalized a game for misconduct, and the match ends.
If you can't watch the complete game, start at the 7:30 mark, which is where things start to heat up.
Thanks to Greg Burton of UBSports.com for this entertaining feed! -TG
Wow - that was pretty shocking, on several points:
ReplyDelete1. Clearly, White should have won the game due to blocking from Ball at game ball. Appeal to overturn decision was just plain wrong.
2. White should have been penalized a conduct point for breaking his racquet on his leg. Since the score was 10-9, that would have awarded the game and match to Ball and we would have been spared the sorry spectacle that followed.
3. A couple rallies earlier, Ball deserved a point when White clearly prevented his swing. I didn't hear the referee's explanation either.
4. Referee confuses matters throughout the game by always stating "point to" when he should simply have announced the score. Use "point to" only for appeals.
5. PST clearly needs to hire better (more experienced) referees. This is particularly true when players of this calibre - and testiness - are competing against each other. Both of these great athletes got the short end of the stick.
After viewing the ending of the White/Ball match a few times, it is my opinion that no matter whether under the "No Let" or current WSF Rules, the original "Stroke" decision was appropriate - and should have been upheld.
ReplyDeleteWhen watching (very closely) the two preceding rallies, where White stretched and retrieved the ball on his forehand, then from (a bad) position (just) retrieved Ball's cross-court hit to his backhand, it's clear to see that White had the ability (and was making the effort) to retrieve the last shot on the forehand side - had it NOT been for the "interference" and position of Ball, preventing him from doing so.
In this third in the series of three shots, where in the two previous ones, the ball had enough length, he (Ball) deserved to stand his ground, providing White direct access. NOT so with the third shot, which was hit about six inches over the tin, causing the ball to reach the height of its bounce BETWEEN him (Ball) and the side wall, preventing White from taking a direct path to retrieving it. Under ANY Rules, Ball denied White direct access to the ball, which should have resulted in the decision of..."Stroke to White!"
Being both a coach and referee, I have always pointed out to those I've worked with - that this is certainly one of the best examples of how important playing good position is, if after playing your shot, your opponent deserves to maintain a position at the tee. If you don't move forward or back, (whatever the case may be) to a good position, you'll be vulnerable to either a short shot, or one hit to deep length.
However, by playing good position, (at the service line, either to the left or right of your opponent), you will FORCE your opponent (when hitting straight) to either hit a ball short (forward of them) or to good length (behind them) ALLOWING them to maintain their position and not be in the way.
If a poor length shot is hit (as was so in the Ball/White rally) the player must either clear forward or backward, allowing the opponent direct/straight access to the ball. The player CANNOT just stand there - or make an attempt to clear straight back and into the path of the in-coming player, like moving out of one of the two front, or back corners. In the above case, Ball made no attempt to move, (bad shot) to allow White direct access. Again, "Stroke to White!"
At 8-9, White serving, White prevents Ball's swing, a clear Point to Ball. White's shot passes the middle of the service box and he bounces bodily off Ball as Ball attempts to swing. Why was the correct 'Point to Ball" decision overruled? Looks like a no-brainer to me.
ReplyDeleteWhite's breaking his racquet, failing to request to leave the court, and passive/aggressive slamming of the door was poor sportsmanship. The Referee should have immediately awarded a Conduct Point to Ball which would have given him the game.
Also a Conduct Point to Ball after White hit the wall with his hand hard in frustration at 11-all.
About the last rally, the recording at http://www.prosquashtour.net/McManus%20statement%20on%20Albany%20Finals.html offers a better vantage point. Ball's last shot, a hard low drive that bounces twice before going off camera, is not as tight as it "should" be but Ball backs away from it and White bangs into him. White could not hit a winning shot, so it would be a "marginal" Let in my book, but since (1) Ball knows where White was coming from, (2) he is a very experienced touring pro, (3) he does not make "every effort" to clear, and (4) there are no Lets in PST, it must be a stroke.
Re conduct, I recommend that PST rules players be required to leave their attitudes outside the court when they challenge referees' decisions. Pro tennis players used to rant a lot on line calls (John McEnroe often took the match "off the court" to argue with the Umpire, created a little chaos that would feed his competitive fire while disrupting his opponent's rhythm). Player rants have dropped considerably since the challenge option was added to the rules of tennis. The same reduction in whining may be said of PSA players who challenge decisions on interference.
Other pro sports have referees who immediately levy points (later sometimes heavy fines) against players who flagrantly foul or who disrespect referees. So what's the point of having a tantrum, pouting or hissing at the referee when you are allowed to get your point across by saying "I challenge"? Complaining only makes you look immature and "brings the game into disrepute" as per WSF Rules.
Hunt Richardson
US National Referee Assessor and Instructor
When they gave that last point to Ball were they saying White shouldn't have stopped play?
ReplyDelete