In a doubles match, my racquet hit the netting separating indoor courts while returning a shot that turned out to be a winner. My opponents thought they won the point because they thought the ball rolled off the side net onto my racquet before I hit it. Should my opponents have won the point once my racquet hit the side net? Should we have replayed the point?
— Ursulla Weekes McLeod , Montgomery Village, MD
No and no. First, just as with a double bounce, this is your call as to whether you got to the ball before it touched the netting (The Code, Item 19). Second, there is no rule that says you lose a point because your racquet touches a permanent fixture, which the netting is.
Except where noted, answers are based on the ITF Rules of Tennis and USTA's The Code.
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