An engineer overthinks tennis in a daily journal.
I have discovered that it can be tremendously fun to conjure scenarios that break the rules of tennis. This is an unanticipated side effect of my systemic march through the USTA Friend at Court. The rule we have arrived at today is firmly in that category.
If it seems like I have already written about this rule, it is because I actually have. In “Permanent Fixtures, Again” I wrote a lot about how the ball striking a permanent fixture is a point loss. There is good reason for that. It is because the section we were covering at that time basically says the exact same thing.
The most simple way a point can be lost per this rule is the ball that bounces on the correct side of the net, but out. But where is the fun in writing about that?
This project finally moves into my expert territory. Section 24 of the 2020 USTA Friend at Court is titled “Player Loses Point.” I would contend that there is no other player better equipped to cover this topic than me.
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In all cases when a let is called, except when a service let is called on a second service, the whole point shall be replayed.
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This seems like a good time to inject a topic that is not in the ITF Rules of Tennis, but nevertheless is apparently debated from time to time. We have recently discussed the fact that if a service clips the net cord and falls in, then a let is played. On all other shots, a net-cord strike is basically tough luck. Once again… wait for it… we really don’t know why the distinction even exists.
In the “History of the Service Let” we discussed that there really isn’t a satisfactory reason recorded as to why the service let even exists. One speculative reason is that the rule is in place because the server already has too much of an advantage with two opportunities at first strike of the ball. This brings us to the obvious question as to why the server is granted two serves at all.
The first usage of the word let in lawn tennis appeared in 1878, but that was not specific to the serve, but rather outside obstruction or interference, such as “an obtrusive dog running across the court, or anything of that kind.” I need to pause here for a moment to note that containing such specific examples would certainly spice up the modern ITF rules of tennis.
At the professional level, Rafael Nadal is the patron saint of slow play. Roger Federer has long been critical of Nadal’s pace of play, albiet it in the most gentlemanly way possible.
In tennis, the server has two chances to put the ball into play on each point. Today’s topic is the section of the Rules of Tennis that brings the concept of two serves into the game.