My partner served a ball that hit the top of the net and then, without bouncing, hit the receiver on the baseline. After some discussion, we agreed that it was our point, but I still believe that the serve should have been considered a let and the point should have been replayed. Please let me know what the official ruling is.
— Alex Cadigan, Ann Arbor, MI
It should have been a let. There is no way that ball could have possibly landed in the correct service box and it would have been a fault if not for the receiver’s inability to get out of the way. But the penalty for that isn’t the loss of a point. Rule 22.a says a serve is a let if, “after touching the net, strap or band, [it] touches the receiver or the receiver’s partner . . . before hitting the ground.”
Except where noted, answers are based on the ITF Rules of Tennis and USTA's The Code.
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