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Delpo Miffed by Time Violation vs. Djokovic in Dubai


By Chris Oddo


(March 3, 2013) -- We're all becoming familiar with the ATP's focus on enforcing its time violation rules in 2013. The rules are being enforced with the best intentions in mind (to speed the game and to punish players who stall for time after long rallies, thus removing the advantage from the fitter player), but there are certain ambiguities that keep coming to light with regularity.

The above video, which features Juan Martin del Potro receiving a warning at the most inopportune moment during the second set of his semifinal in Dubai with Novak Djokovic, is the perfect example of how the rule is both achieving its goals and sabotaging the players at the same time.

Here, Del Potro has just labored through a 20-stroke rally with Djokovic, and is preparing to serve a crucial break point in the second set. At about 30 seconds (probably one second from serving) Del Potro gets the warning from the umpire, is thrown off his focus, then proceeds to lose the game on the ensuing point.

Most, including commentator Annabel Croft and the paying customers, are appalled by the call, but on closer inspection, the call might not be so egregious. Del Potro takes extra time to serve on this occasion because he is gassed -- we can see that -- and the rule has been put into place, at least partially, to discourage the very thing that Del Potro is doing (taking an extra few seconds to catch his breath before serving a huge point).

So, where does that leave us? I'll tell you. It leaves us with a system that is confusing to players and fans. Worse, it appears to be confusing to umpires as well.

Not good, right? (That's one thing most people are agreeing on these days)

Here's what Del Potro told reporters afterwards:

Q. Do you feel the time violation was unnecessary?

JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: Yeah, but now what can I say now? I mean, we play very long rallies during the match, and he called me the warning before serve a break point down. It's very important point for the game, for the match. Maybe he doesn't know about that, you know. I mean, in that moment, if you call warning or if you do something different, you can lose the focus and that's what happen with me. But was my fault. I mean, I couldn't manage that.

Q. Do you think the system is wrong, that the umpire should maybe first just have a quiet word at a changeover, for example?

JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: Yeah, yeah. They are doing like this, you know, first to call the warning. They let you know or, Please, do quicker, or something. But I don't have idea tonight. He just put me the warning. But, I mean, that's the rule, you know. The umpire can do whatever he want, and if he want to call me the warning, he can do it.
I mean, I don't know who made the rule, but we have to play with it.

Q. But he did not say anything to you before?

JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: No. Nothing, no. That's what I said to him. I agree for the warning. It's okay. No problem. Maybe you can call me warning, knowing the break point down serving, but let me know before and I will be agree with you 100%.

Q. Berdych was saying he feels that the umpires have so much power with that kind of setup. He says maybe if you put a clock on the court it would help. Are you in favor of something like that?

JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: I mean, we can ‑‑ it's difficult to play against the No. 1 in the world, and serving for break point down and the umpire call you a warning, you know, it's not normal, I think. They're playing with ‑‑ you have different pressures. You know, the crowd doesn't like if the umpire call me warning in that moment, you know. You can see tonight what the crowd say, you know. I don't know who made the mistake. Maybe I made the mistake because then I lost the game and I made the very easy effort with my forehand.

Maybe they can check the rules for the future. I don't know.

The simple answer is to place a shot clock on the court, because what fans and players are lacking more than anything is clarity as to what is expected of them in terms of time. Case in point? Did Del Potro know that he was over the alloted 25 second limit here? Surely, he had other things on his mind, like trying to maintain a thin margin over the world's top player in big match.

Furthermore, do Del Potro and the rest of the ATP players realize that umpires are specifically targeting players after long points like these? It appears to me that players are expecting lenience in these moments, while quite obviously, umpires have different ideas (at least that is my hunch).

Annabel Croft, who called the match alongside David Mercer, was miffed by the call as well saying "Honestly I think something has to change in terms of having a clock on the court so that the players actually are aware of what the time is, because they have no idea. And he's just preparing to serve--he's bouncing the ball, ready to get the ball into motion--and he gets a time violation which spoils his concentration."

Brad Gilbert chimed in during the match with the same observation:


Two months into the season, it's becoming painfully obvious that something needs to change. A shot clock might be the first step, but some better communication between the players and the officials as to expectations is definitely in order, too.

Got an opinion? Drop it in the comments.

 

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