In a doubles match I called a double bounce on my opponent’s shot, but he claimed that only the hitter could make that call. He based this on a previous match where an opponent ticked the ball before his partner hit it, but an official ruled that only the player who ticked the ball could call it. I thought both cases are like calling a let, and that anyone on the court can call the infraction. At the very least, I thought that it would be more sporting in a casual game to at least play a let if he disagreed with my call.
— Scot Morgan, Salt Lake City, UT
Think of it this way, the player (or team) directly involved, not just observing, makes the call (The Code, Item 19). In both cases, the first a double bounce and the second a touch, the player attempting the shot (or getting hit by the shot) is responsible for making the call. While it may seem sporting to play lets, imagine how long a match could last if you played a let every time you and your opponent disagreed on a call. That’s why we have The Code. Your opponent was correct.
Except where noted, answers are based on the ITF Rules of Tennis and USTA's The Code.
Got a question? Email it to: courtofappeals@tennis.com