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BGonline.org Forums
Rabid tennis fans, no comment on? -- OT
Posted By: Bill Riles In Response To: Rabid tennis fans, no comment on? (Chuck Bower)
Date: Sunday, 5 June 2011, at 12:49 a.m.
I'll take the bait -- Stick and I have already been discussing this on Facebook.
I thought it ridiculous for the chair to overrule the line judge on a call on the other side of the court and the far end of the court. As in most sports, the ruling on the field by the appropriate official should be presumed correct unless incontrovertible evidence to the contrary exists. I certainly don't believe that was the case here. There were a number of ball marks -- even the most damning one, if applicable, was debatable.
I think a couple of motivations existed -- the French and Italians generally hate each other; and many perceived it good for the game (see the following post) if the Chinese girl won.
Stick says it was only one point and couldn't be presumed to alter the outcome of the match. I disagree. If Schiavone, who would have had a set point if the call was not overturned, wins the second set I think she cruises to a win in the third set. The Chinese girl played great early (or was Schiavone playing that poorly?), but after putting an easy forehand winner into the net where she would have went up 4-1 in the second set (w/ two breaks), her game, focus, and confidence disappeared. She looked like a deer in the headlights. Had she not netted that certain winner, Schiavone never gets back into the match and the Chinese girl coasts home. And, yes, Stick, that was a single point, with a tremendous equity swing -- and the outcome of that single point was indisputable.
The best result for tennis would have been a clear cut winner with no controversy. I'll always regard the match as flawed and the winner questionable.
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