One of my first serves clipped the net cord and was caught by the receiver’s partner before it bounced. Since it was clearly going out, he called for a second serve. Was that correct?
—Ernie Rains, Montgomery, AL
Your opponent should have kept his hands to himself. Rule 22.a. states that it’s a service let if the serve, after hitting the net, “touches . . . the receiver’s partner or anything they wear or carry 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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