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Paul Kovac	See if you can Stump the Ump... E-mail questions to Paul Kovac - your friendly on-line USATT umpire. Please note: Questions which have answers that are easily found by consulting the rules may not merit a reply.

Q: In the first serve of an international match I tossed the ball and then caught it before striking it with my racquet as I noticed that it was not a tournament ball, it had very large black felt pen markings on it. The umpire replaced the ball when I brought it to his attention but I still lost the point. Correct call?

- submitted by Anonymous

A: It was an incorrect call by the umpire to score the point for your opponent because he/she, in fact, found reason to replace the ball - that is the ball was irregular. Similarly when you toss and you hear a cracking sound when the ball hits your racket, indicating that the the ball is cracked, the play should stop, and the ball should be replaced with no penalty to the server. It would be a different situation if the umpire had found that the ball was OK. Then, once you toss, you have to complete the serve.
Note: As of September 1, 2003, A warning can be given by an umpire for a doubtful service - even when there are two umpires present.

- answered by Paul Kovac - your friendly on-line USATT umpire