What's the Call: Will you remove the ball?

Have you ever had a dispute with a fellow player over a call on the court that you couldn’t settle? Maybe you’re just curious about how some scenarios, from the common to the ridiculous, are resolved.

Question: During my singles match, my opponent hit her first serve into the net. The ball ended up in the middle of the service box but my opponent did not make an attempt to move it. I requested that she move the ball off the court but my opponent stated that she was fine with the ball laying there. Since the ball was on her side of the net does he have to move it?

Answer: Just because the ball is on your opponent’s side does not mean he is the king of that side of the court. The server should respect their opponent’s request to remove the ball from the court. Whenever a ball is not in play, a player must honor an opponent’s request to remove a ball from the court or from an area outside the court that is reasonably close to the lines. (Code 42)  

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For the "Friend at Court" handbook and more information on the rules of tennis, visit the rules and regulations homepage.