Questioning the call
Line calls made by tennis players sometimes disputed by their opponents

By STEVE FEITL
Collegian Sports Writer

After three-straight shutout victories, it is easy to forget just how competitive tennis can be.

Indiana served as a reminder for the men's tennis team on Sunday, when the Lions (9-2) defeated the Hoosiers (3-6) in a thrilling 4-3 win at the Penn State Tennis Club.

The close match was heightened with several instances of controversy over disputed calls. These arguments were not evident when the Lions dominated their prior three opponents.

"When the matches aren't that close, the guys just let it fly," Lion Coach Jan Bortner said. "But when it's coming down to a 4-3 match, they want anything that is close to go their way."

Unlike other NCAA sports, tennis players make their own calls. Whether the ball is out of bounds or hits the net, it is each players' responsibility to make the decision. It's the referee's job to settle disputes.

United States Tennis Association Official Bob Berrettini, who helped to preside over Sunday's match, said there is a lot of pressure on the players to make the correct call. It is sometimes difficult for the players to tell where the ball actually hits since, at the time, they are running and their eyes are bouncing, he added.

As an official, Berrettini said he is reluctant to rule against any call made by a player, since he cannot always see the best angle.

"We have to make the best judgment we can," he added. "We have to see a clear mistake before we can overrule it."

An example of this occurred when the No. 3 Lion doubles team -- junior Mike Tain and sophomore Michael Carter -- faced Indiana's Mike Filiper and Andrew Held with the doubles point on the line.

With the score tied at four, Carter served to the Hoosiers. The Indiana players thought the ball hit the net and called for a let after they were unable to return the serve.

"Mike (Carter) had a good serve right on the guys forehand and the guy hit it off the net," Tain said. "It just wasn't let. The ref didn't hear it and overruled him."

There were also disputes in Carter's singles match against Mark Ableman. The Indiana player thought one of his early shots was in, but Carter called it out.

Later in the third set, Ableman thought he heard Carter call a shot long and stopped playing. Carter returned the shot and won that game, but Ableman went on to win the match 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.

"There's no hard feelings about it," Hoosier Coach Ken Hydinger said. "Nobody calls every match perfectly. That's the way it is."

Bortner agreed that disputes are part of the nature of the sport and not unique to this particular match.

"If you play a basketball game and ask 10 guys to make their own calls, there's going to be controversy," Bortner said. "This wasn't any more controversial than most of them."