Carlos Bernardes Withdrawn for Nadal Matches

[britbox]

I've done a little reading, what there is to find, and it basically comes to the Telegraph declaring it to be so, but citing no source. Not even background, unnamed ones. It also bears pointing out that the Telegraph headline is damning to Nadal: "Nadal Makes a Mockery of Rule Book," implying that Rafa had something to do with Bernardes being withdrawn as a potential chair ump for his matches, which we don't even know to be true. So I would caution for a little closer attention to facts and sources before passing a lot of judgement.

The article does say that the ATP, which doesn't control majors, says that, “a number of factors are taken into consideration in the [umpire] selection process, including badge qualifications, nationality, as well as any previous history or incidents”. The article also cites some precedents for the last part. I would think it possible, if it is true, that the ITF may choose not to pressure Nadal with an umpire that he has had a recent run-in with, especially at a tournament as important as Roland Garros.

Players can get frustrated in matches, and sometimes take it out on the chair. That's certainly not novel.
For the record, and @Carol35, I think Carlos Bernardes is an excellent umpire. One of the best, and most genial.

Well, there used to be a general guideline on here that users should preferably link to a source... now the source must link to another source too? The Telegraph isn't actually a rag in the UK - it's regarded as a pretty serious paper - like a "Washington Post" type of publication.

Now of course that doesn't mean they ever get things wrong... but using a little bit of intuition and common sense, would you hazard a guess that the Nadal camp might have said something? Kind of feels a bit strange that an umpire gets pulled on a specific player's matches.

 

[Kieran]

Why use intuition and common sense? It's a newspaper article, and I agree, the Telegraph is a quality paper. But why should be use common sense and intuition? Quality journalism cites it's sources. This article is based upon supposition...

 

[britbox]

^So are you supposing he hasn't been withdrawn on calling Nadal matches?

 

[Kieran]

^So are you supposing he hasn't been withdrawn on calling Nadal matches?

The supposition is that Rafa might have complained. I happen to agree with the ATP not putting umpires on matches with players where there's been static in the past, but none of that means that Rafa is at fault...

 

[britbox]

^Of course not mate... Rafa was tucked up in bed dreaming of signing autographs for the homeless.

 

[Kieran]

^Of course not mate... Rafa was tucked up in bed dreaming of signing autographs for the homeless.

Now we're all on the same page...

 

[DarthFed]

God forbid the chair ump does his job and calls Rafa for taking forever and a day. Most chair umps do give warnings for smashing racquets and loud cussing. Not sure how that's related. The chair umps shouldn't have to cater to princess Nadal or any other player.

Do they allow a player to smash rackets and cuss for four sets and then call it?

No and that's the thing that makes Rafa's complaints funny. If they called it as they should he'd be screwed until he made a huge adjustment to his rituals which would likely hurt his endurance and game overall. Part of the reason Rafa likes to take forever is due to all the energy he is spending on court.

Anyways I look at it like the speeding limit (at least here in the U.S.) where we can go 5 miles over the limit and we probably won't get pulled over by a cop even though they can do so if they want. But if they catch us doing 10+ over we are going to get pulled over every time. Rafa takes more time on the bigger points, so he goes from just barely going over the time limit to being way over it.

 

[Kieran]

^^ As Broken said, Rafa's a quick learner. If they enforced it roughly from the start, he'd adjust. And they should enforce it from the start, but why they don't, only they can tell...

 

[Front242]

I loved when Kyrgios rushed him all over the place at Wimbledon last year. Rafa was almost having a panic attack but you play to the server's speed so tough $h1t.

 

[DarthFed]

^^ As Broken said, Rafa's a quick learner. If they enforced it roughly from the start, he'd adjust. And they should enforce it from the start, but why they don't, only they can tell...

Yes he'd be forced to adjust and a big adjustment it would be...probably one that isn't suited to his game.

 

[Front242]

Yup. He's used this stalling tactic of agitating his opponents for years in addition to helping him regain his stamina and composure during points that if he suddenly had to play as fast as everyone else he'd definitely be more rattled and suffer more defeats imo. He looks flustered when he has to play fast when a guy like Kyrgios rushes between points. He gets no rhythm. This doesn't just apply to big servers 'cos Isner is notoriously slow but guys who get on with things and don't stall tend to aggravate his game.

 

[Kieran]

^^ As Broken said, Rafa's a quick learner. If they enforced it roughly from the start, he'd adjust. And they should enforce it from the start, but why they don't, only they can tell...

Yes he'd be forced to adjust and a big adjustment it would be...probably one that isn't suited to his game.

He's made a lot of much bigger adjustments since the days he was just a "one-dimensional" dirtballer. I'd imagine that any adjustments in this regard could be made to suit his game perfectly...

 

[Front242]

Highly doubtful. When he knows that he's breaking the rules and yet not only still continues to do it every match and even complains then about umpires like Bernades enforcing the rules, it's obvious that he's not going to change anything since it's clearly part of his game that he refuses to change. He and his camp would rather complain about the umpires calling him on it than actually adhering to the rules of the game.

He also knows it aggravates his opponents and he uses that as an edge 'cos they're annoyed at him before the first ball is even hit. Any edge he can get he'll gladly accept. By playing and serving faster that edge would be gone in an instant, not to mention he'd find it harder to regain his stamina and composure between points.

 

[Kieran]

Highly doubtful. When he knows that he's breaking the rules and yet not only still continues to do it every match and even complains then about umpires like Bernades enforcing the rules, it's obvious that he's not going to change anything since it's clearly part of his game that he refuses to change. He and his camp would rather complain about the umpires calling him on it than actually adhering to the rules of the game.

He also knows it aggravates his opponents and he uses that as an edge 'cos they're annoyed at him before the first ball is even hit. Any edge he can get he'll gladly accept. By playing and serving faster that edge would be gone in an instant, not to mention he'd find it harder to regain his stamina and composure between points.

:laydownlaughing :lolz: :clap

You were hardly going to say anything else...

 

[Front242]

'cos iz the true, no? If he wants umpires to stop getting on his back he'd adhere to the rules. He can't be bothered so he and his camp came up with this ingenious plan instead: the title of the thread.

 

[Kieran]

'cos iz the true, no? If he wants umpires to stop getting on his back he'd adhere to the rules. He can't be bothered so he and his camp came up with this ingenious plan instead: the title of the thread.

Why don't ya run a quote from the Pope and then I'll believe it...

 

[Front242]

Will you instead believe it if Bernades simply doesn't umpire his matches? That'd be easier for all involved.

 

[Moxie]

I've done a little reading, what there is to find, and it basically comes to the Telegraph declaring it to be so, but citing no source. Not even background, unnamed ones. It also bears pointing out that the Telegraph headline is damning to Nadal: "Nadal Makes a Mockery of Rule Book," implying that Rafa had something to do with Bernardes being withdrawn as a potential chair ump for his matches, which we don't even know to be true. So I would caution for a little closer attention to facts and sources before passing a lot of judgement.

The article does say that the ATP, which doesn't control majors, says that, “a number of factors are taken into consideration in the [umpire] selection process, including badge qualifications, nationality, as well as any previous history or incidents”. The article also cites some precedents for the last part. I would think it possible, if it is true, that the ITF may choose not to pressure Nadal with an umpire that he has had a recent run-in with, especially at a tournament as important as Roland Garros.

Players can get frustrated in matches, and sometimes take it out on the chair. That's certainly not novel.
For the record, and @Carol35, I think Carlos Bernardes is an excellent umpire. One of the best, and most genial.

Well, there used to be a general guideline on here that users should preferably link to a source... now the source must link to another source too? The Telegraph isn't actually a rag in the UK - it's regarded as a pretty serious paper - like a "Washington Post" type of publication.

Now of course that doesn't mean they ever get things wrong... but using a little bit of intuition and common sense, would you hazard a guess that the Nadal camp might have said something? Kind of feels a bit strange that an umpire gets pulled on a specific player's matches.

I suggested that Kirijax could have added a bit of analysis or perspective from his own reading of it. What he said only was "This should get everyone riled up for the French Open," so I guess the intention, jovially, was to let it be as inflammatory as the headline. All fine, but people can read for themselves that it doesn't offer anything in the way of a source. I know that the Telegraph is a real newspaper, but I agree with Kieran...you shouldn't have to use common sense and intuition in reading a news article. We don't have to believe it just because they wrote it. And I disagree with Mrzz...the phrase "The Telegraph can reveal..." is meaningless without a citation.

 

[Kieran]

Will you instead believe it if Bernades simply doesn't umpire his matches? That'd be easier for all involved.

Will I believe it's because Rafa complained - or because the ATP decided on this themselves?

Let me put it like this: I remember in 2013 a tennis fan told me that Pascal Maria had been banned from umpiring as punishment for penalising Nole for touching the net in the famous incident against Rafa in Paris.

Then Pascal Maria turned up, inconveniently, and in fact umpired another Nole match shortly afterwards.

These kind of miscreant moves are common, both among disgruntled fans, and a tired, scoop-less media. And it'll stick with Fedfans, like you, until in fact Carlos Bernardes umpires another Rafa match, which he obviously will have to, at some stage...

 

[Moxie]

'cos iz the true, no? If he wants umpires to stop getting on his back he'd adhere to the rules. He can't be bothered so he and his camp came up with this ingenious plan instead: the title of the thread.

Front, you offer your interpretations of people's motivations and call them facts. Often.