In mixed doubles my opponent’s shot hit the ground on his side of the net before bouncing over toward me. I stopped play, telling them the shot had hit the ground on their side of the net. They hadn’t seen it, but said it was their call and not mine. Was it their call?

—Dave Resurreccion, Wilmington, DE

Definitely not. Your opponents may be confusing this with making their own call on a potential double bounce (The Code, Item 19), but that’s not the case here. The Code, Item 5, says, “A player calls all shots landing on, or aimed at, the player’s side of the net.” Chaos would ensue if it were the opposite.

Except where noted, answers are based on the ITF Rules of Tennis and USTA's The Code.

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