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Ask The Official
Out ball hits racket before ground.
by Anonymous
Q: My opponent hit a long ball to me at the base line. I moved my body away from the ball to allow it to bounce out. The ball hit my racket that I was holding down at my side. Who gets the point?
A: Your opponent.
Rule 20.c states that, "A player loses the point if: He volleys the ball and fails to make a good return even when standing outside the court". You also lose the point if the ball touches you, or anything you wear or carry (except the racquet) even if you are outside the court. Catch the ball on the fly and you lose the point! The racquet is excluded because if the ball touches the racquet, that is considered making an attempt to hit the ball (regardless of your intention).
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Jim Flood has been a USTA Professional Tennis Official for many years and has officiated at many of the biggest and most prestigious USTA professional tournaments, including the U.S. Open. He is also a computer instructor and multimedia specialist and also fills his spare time as a commercial actor and voiceover artist. Jim's motto is: "Play by the rules."
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