My partner swung and missed the ball on her serve, and the ball hit her on the way down. Our opponent called a fault. How can that be a fault when some servers catch the ball and re-serve without it being a fault?
—Paul Sauer, Louisville, KY
The difference is in the intent. In your partner’s case, she tried to serve, as illustrated by her swinging and missing (Rule 19.b). If you don’t like your toss and decide to catch it, or let it drop without swinging, there’s no penalty (Rule 19, Case 1).
Except where noted, answers are based on the ITF Rules of Tennis and USTA's The Code.
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