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Most ridiculous tennis calls in history

4K views 40 replies 29 participants last post by  Azachakisova. 
#1 ·
We have all experienced them, watching your favourite get a wrong in/out call, which will change the momentum of the match, and ultimately the historical landscape of title runs. You are left with what ifs. The umpire was wrong, the player was out of challenges, and the linesperson is Shino.

Which tennis calls aggrieved you the most? And what if?

 
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#2 ·
The biggest was Serena/Capriati in NY 2004. That led to hawkeye
Serena in NY has had some of the craziest moments and that was one of those where she was cheated
 
#4 ·
Agree about the US Open Serena v. Capriati match. Terrible calls.

Was watching a match once where Errani or her opponent hit a ball that was clearly in. It bounced slow as can be and right under the chair umpire’s nose. The linesman called it wrong but the chair umpire refused to correct the call, even though it was clearly in. It was so bad it was funny, especially because of how slowly the ball moved.


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#8 ·
One of the most ridiculous calls I ever saw was in the Wozniacki vs Azarenka match, the ball could not possibly bounce more slow and yet they didn’t see it.


Also, here Edmund lost the point in 3 different ways; double bounce, ran into the net before the ball bounced twice and hit out; and the umpire still have the point to Edmund. Thankfully Djokovic challenged and got the point after all, but how could one be so blind, when Kyle was right under the umpire’s chair.
 
#10 ·
Sania Mirza & Elena Vesnina vs. Liezel Huber & Lisa Raymond, doubles QF, AO 2012

The only thing worse than the umpire/linesman not acknowledging the double bounce is Huber's cheating attitude and obvious lies. God I wanted to slap her that day.
Although the best shot of the match is the second to last point which Mirza smashed in Huber's face. LOL.
Thank god they won. Imagine the reaction if they lost.

 
#13 ·
Bunch of Mr. Magoo linesmen at the Bank of the West :eek:

Cirstea out there calling it better than them :p


As for the actual answer this one is an easy one for me.. Australian Open final.. Kim and Justine. It's 4 all in the 3rd set and break point down Kim hits a shot off the baseline and umpire Sandra De Jenken overrules and calls it out. The ball was in.

I lost my damn mind :lol:
 
#15 ·
Definitely Roddick/Hewitt in the 5th set of the QF of the 2001 USO. The umpire overrule for a call on the far side of the court allowed Hewitt to eventually break for the match.



Andy has a point: "IT'S 4-5 IN THE 5TH SET!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!"

Imagine slugging it out for 3.5 hours only to have (nearly) the whole match gifted away on a cheese call. Umpire should never rule or overrule stuff far away from him. Thank the tennis gods for Hawkeye.

At least Andy swallowed his ego and shook the umpire's hand after. You could tell he hesitated at first but he still came through and showed some class. He would eventually win the USO 2 years later. He would have won more Majors, but then Roger Federer happened.

Bonus: A very young Clijsters, back when she and Hewitt were dating.
 
#18 ·
For the most part, though, the players must accept the umpires mistakes and move on. Really. The most unacceptable is to make mess of matches for a bad call as if the full match was depending on that call. Just move on and play. Don't get mad at the umpire in thinking you lost the match because of that call. It's silly. Everybody makes mistakes. If you can forgive yourself (which you often do when you make a bad challenge), then forgive the umpire too.

Imagine if the umpire didn't forgive you to make a mistake in any match? If you were forbidden to hit a ball outside the court or into the net? You'd be only allowed to make three UEs per set? Now that would be interesting. :oh:
 
#20 ·
Definitely the call against Clijsters in the 2004 AO final.

Especially given the fact that she was slowly coming back in that set. She saved that BP but De Jenken overruled, probably pressured by Henin making the out gesture immediatly and looking at her for an overrule.

Awful call.
 
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#25 ·
I think Kadergate is the worst mistake by a chair umpire and Capriati match worst mistake by a line judge. Not knowing the rules and arguing like a complete moron, how could anyone respect Nouni after that?

For line calls, chair umpires don't have a great angle, especially not on the far side (hello, Roddick). But for the line judge perfectly positioned behind the sideline to call a ball travelling down the line out when it is actually INSIDE the line, now that is spectacular!
 
#27 ·
The out call in the Serena/Capriati match was an overrule by the chair.
 
#29 ·
I have two I always laugh at.

Donna and Maria in Sharm El Sheikh, both ended up being upset with the umpire.



And this guy who was basically nodding off, probably from all tourney free-flowing beverages. Errani was not amused.


I appreciate how those calls against Serena ended up changing the challenge system and Hawk Eye was introduced, however, there are those courts which still don't have HE, and players and/or umpires end up getting a raw deal on calls.
 
#39 ·
I think I have asked this question too many times already, but does anybody know why we still haven’t had video replays in the courts? I mean we have always been able to see replays on TV, why can’t they just let them be included like another type of challenge when players can just watch the incidents again in the screens, just to see if the players return the balls over the net, or if calls come before or after the opponent hit the balls, or how the wrong calls affect the players, double bounce, etc. There would be no unnecessary discussions in the court.

For example, if you say “I think my opponent just had a double bounce” (and they win the point ofc, just like in the Schiavone/Zhu match), and you challenge and want to see the video replay, if it turns out to be double bounce, you win the point, if it’s not, then you lose one challenge and the point. Same with other situations.
 
#40 ·
The problem with the 2004 AO final one is that it was hurting on the moment but Kim fans turned the page.

Then, years later, without nobody asking, Henin admitted that she knew the ball was in and still called it out with her finger, she admitted having regrets about it.
 
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