TWO reasons for Federer’s arrogance when ‘ordering’ Hawk-Eye challenge.
Posted by tennisplanet on February 19, 2010
For rock people, most players do this when ‘requesting’ the challenge: They look umpire in the eye, raise a finger and nod – sometimes uttering ‘challenge’.
Federer not only makes no eye contact, rarely raises a finger but blurts out ‘CHALLENGE’ like he is talking to his wife, Wawrinka or a slave. Why? Could it be:
1. Federer is the only player on the tour today who still opposes the very existence of Hawk-Eye. He rejected it from the get go. That position conflicts mightily (a voice inside him says ‘Hey, why are you using it now, you moron?) every time he challenges forcing that defensive and arrogant body language.
2. If that wasn’t enough, his miserable record on the challenges (he is THE worst on the tour), evokes that ‘I don’t give a damn’ response in preparation of accepting another setback only to validate his poor decision making.
clifford said
I suppose the people to decide whether or not a player is arrogant in his method of challenging would be the umpires, but I know what would bug the hell out of me if I were in the chair: a player looking up at the friends in his box to get their impressions about the call before deciding to challenge it. That sort of pushing against the rules (or at least the spirit of the rules- no coaching, time limit for challenges) strikes me as the absolute height of arrogance, and I’ve never seen Fed do that!
clifford said
Also, at least two announcers (though not Cahill) have said during the AO that Fed’s odds on challenges were now very good, compared to his terrible percentages a few years ago. Has anyone seen data to confirm that?
Adrian said
jajajaja, TP… ENOUGH of the supposed “arrogance” of Federer at various moments. First, I really don’t think that other players look at the umpire in the eye and request a challenge nicely… Roddick for one doesn’t do that and he gets REALLY annoyed when he thinks that umpires or linespeople are not making the right calls. Djokovic also. And the list is really long. Other players even do ridiculous things, like Feña “erasing” the line with his ass, etc.
Also, I don’t think Fed is the only player on tour against Hawk-Eye… isn’t Nadal also on the same boat? I mean, now that it’s there, you’d be stupid to not use it… so they use it, albeit reluctantly.
Finally, I don’t think that looking at the record of right challenges says anything about a player. Player use challenges not necessarily because they think they are right, but also because there is a margin for error and there is always a chance they may win the challenge, even when they think it was the right call. So, if I were in players’ shoes, I would also always use challenges whenever any call has a chance to go my way. It’s the smart thing to do, no?
Jenny said
Agreed Adrian. I’m sure Rafa’s no fan of Hawkeye.
ish said
*shrugs*
he just won the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award so this means nothing to me. ;P
Pommesdesuisse said
I agree TP… I think he definitely still hates Hawke-Eye, and the ‘arrogant’ way of using it confirms that. At least, that’s my impression, too…
And I like it btw… It’s consequent.
Pommesdesuisse said
And I forgot to say: this post IS funny… (…Mirka, Wawrinka or a slave…)
LOL!!!
kitty said
It just doesn’t suit Fed’s persona, I was very surprised when Fed was against it. Why does anyone have a thing against the hawkeye, using technology is going in the right direction. what cons does it have? and the pros are so many, human eye is unreliable afterall, the only reason to me seems that hawkeye is robbing the mcnroe/connors melodrama for linecalls or may be a secret superstition — time to move forward
Annie said
Commentators used to say he didn’t like it because it slowed up the points/game.
Ricke said
I think the GOAT always gets the benefit of the doubt from the linesman. Also he is so well liked that if it is even close,they want to see it in for him. Home field advantage!!
M said
Nicely put, Ricke. I’m sure a lot of them might never admit it but that might be a lot closer to the truth than a lot of peeps think.
I don’t mind at all. I think it makes it funnier when Roger says “Well, Hawkeye doesn’t work anyway” at the charity matches he’s organized.
Jenny said
LOL I thought it was hilarious when Roger asked the umpire to switch it off during a final with Rafa at Wimby!
monique said
So the linesmen cheat to please Fed……wow now I have seen everything.
Bjornino said
I agree, Ricky. Noone would ever admit it but of course every linesman feels the pressure. ALL tournaments want him to be in the finals and win all his matches cuz it generates more money. Everyone knows that, and all the “little people” feel it. And Fed knows it. He would certainly never admit it either, but I am positive that’s a big reason for him NOT liking it and for (almost) all other players to like it
M said
“I thought it was hilarious when Roger asked the umpire to switch it off during a final with Rafa at Wimby!”
Jenny, I think everybody who heard that laughed. I sure did.
Roger’s dry sense of humor is vastly and regularly underestimated, imo.
Jenny said
LOL M, I think he meant it!!
Bjornino said
There was nothing humourous about that “request” from Fed. He was totally rattled by Nadal’s game and Hawk-Eye at that point of the 2007 final. He meant it seriously. Which make it even more ridiculous and laughable.
Pommesdesuisse said
I agree Ricke…
That was a factor for sure. Every #1 in every sport gets this benefit of the doubt. It’s normal. And you probably don’t want to lose that.
I also agree that the reason why Federer’s challenges are wrong so often, is that specially at the end of a set he just takes each and every close call. Because the machine could be wrong, and you CAN’T take unused challenges to the next set!
Just Me said
You’re right Jenny. I remember the hawk-eye review gave Nadal a break point, he then went for a 3–0 lead and Federer continued to complain. “How in the world was that ball in? Look at the score. It’s killing me, Hawk-Eye is killing me…”. This prooves that Federer wasn’t kidding. And I think Carlos Ramos also thought that the ball was actually out, despite what the hawk-eye showed.
Jenny said
It was a controversial point. I think many of us thought the ball was out, but Hawkeye’s decision is final and Roger surely would have known that.
M said
It *was* a controversial point. The more concerned Roger is about the match, the more irritated and peremptory his anti-Hawkeye challenges, it seems. He still won that year, but Rafa’s shifts in skill were creeping up on him. And I don’t think I’ve seen him that irritated since until that whole controversy broke out over the amount of time Juan Martín was taking in *his* challenges in this past year’s USO.
Jenny said
I like Hawk-eye. As you know, clay court doesn’t have Hawk-Eye, much is reliant on obvious marks, but also the sportsmanship of the players. The clay court guys will only call an umpire down if it’s necessary. Last night one of Montanes balls was called out at 30-40, it would have given Ferrer the game, Montanes seemed content, but it was Ferrer who contested the call and conceded the point to Montanes.
monique said
He is not against it when the call is in his favor.
monique said
And for someone who does not like hawkeye, he uses it a lot. If I loathed that thing so much, I would not use it. And the way he asks for the challenge, it is like it is beneath him to ask. Those are facts.
Somebody Else said
Unless you thought it could help you. That’s why he uses it. He’d rather it not be there, so the officials can do their jobs.
Sir Vibhudi Aatmapudi said
Federer and Hawkye would make the best couple
M said
LOL, Sir!
Jenny said
LOL too!
Chieko said
Ha Ha Ha!! Very good.
stuart said
Federer doesn’t have to like the system and I don’t believe that it’s always exactly right, but I do think it’s a lot more accurate than line judges on average.
So even though it may have drawbacks, if Federer manages to save a matchpoint with a correct challenge one day surely he will have to say in the press conference that in an ideal world he shouldn’t have had the option?
I’m a huge Fed fan and I think TP is silly to give him such a hard time for arrogance etc (though I also think he just likes provoking us), but I just don’t see him saying that.
Chieko said
Stuart san, you know our TP san very well now. He likes to get us all excited and involved. He is smiling now.
Elizabeth Gregory said
Federer probably doesn’t like Hawk Eye because he’s the “fair hair” boy on tour and probably has had the benefit of many close calls going his way because the linespeople WANT to see the ball in for him. Hawk Eye doesn’t give a rip who he is and so he probably loses points that would have been his had a human already convinced he’s the best ever to play been calling the line.
Sol said
Are you people serious in saying that he hates the hawk-eye because he knows the line judges would be more inclined to call in his favor? I really hope you’re kidding. He said it very clearly once that he doesn’t like the system because it takes away from the tradition of the game, he’s a tennis purist. I don’t agree with that, I think thigs are changing and he needs to get with the program, but to say the line judges favor him… I have no words.
So he managed to fool all his peers into thinking he’s a fair guy so that they blindly vote for him for the Edberg award (which he now won more than Edberg himself), he has 16 GS titles because he played a weak era and faced no challenge (plus had the easiest draws for 10 years according to some), and now even the line judges do their part to make him win. Man, this is the biggest sport conspiracy I have ever heard of.What a lucky guy having everyone do this for him.
Barbara said
Thank you for the voice of reason!
Ange said
Didn’t Roger question the accuracy of hawkeye, saying the system was fallible? I’ve seen him raise his brow in surprise when a ball is milimetres out OR in, and give that sulky smirk I, for one, can’t get enough of.
Liz said
Yes, Yes and Yes. That smirk……love it.
Bento said
He can be. He is tennis, and no overstatement.