Your Call, 9.17

Mornin. It's time we settled back into our old routine, so here's a Your Call for those of you who want to celebrate accomplishments like Quebec's own Eve-Marie Pelletier (right) advancing in the doubles of the WTA Quebec event. Having spent a fair amount of time in Quebec, particularly on the beautiful Gaspe peninsula (home of some of the world's greatest salmon rivers), I had to chuckle when I read Eve-Marie's surname. I've know, oh, half a dozen fishing guides who share that last name, and seen it plastered on any number of grocery stores, filling stations and auto salvage yards. There's an authentic Quebecois lass for you!

One other note, before I turn my attention to a red-meat post on the men's final, and other USO related issues. I think my main point about the foot-fault rule yesterday largely went unnoticed, although those who pointed to other offenses committed by various players that might have incurred a fine, but did not, were on the right track.

I have a big problem with the way the foot-fault rule is selectively enforced, mainly on big points when the last thing a player is thinking about is precise foot placement - an inattentiveness born partly of the fact that line judges simply don't pay much attention to the foot placement most of the time during a match (except where the foot-fault is egregious).

I assume that like every other player, Serena lines up to serve almost exactly the same way, every time. Thus, if she hasn't been called for a foot fault throughout a match, chances are pretty good that she won't be committing a foot-fault on her upcoming serve. Officials, just like spectators and media, seem to focus extra hard on big points. That's why you get those out-of-the-blue foot faults called on key points with disproportionate frequency.

So while I agree with those who say rules are rules and a violation is a violation, the selective enforcement of the rules seems to me a bigger threat to the integrity of play than does the official choosing to make what amounts to a hairline call - often a call he or she wouldn't have made, or even bothered to really focus on, earlier in the match. I would love to see video of Serena's serves throughout the match, to determine if her serving position/motion was in any way discernibly different at earlier points in the match. I feel pretty confident predicting that it was not. I know, two wrongs don't make a right. Still, there's a basic consistency issue here that should not be ignored, and which goes to the heart of this entire "fair is fair" discussion.

This problem has been with us as long as I can remember, this recent episode was just the most memorable of its recent manifestations. And that's my last word on the issue. Enjoy the tennis, or decompressing from it.

-- Pete