Aussie Open umps will be flexible on time violations
It appears as if chair umpires at the Australian Open will not be calling time violations as strictly as ATP officials have been in recent weeks. ATP tournament rules permit players to take 25 seconds in between points, while the Grand Slam events have a 20-second rule.
Australian Open tournament referee Wayne McEwen told AAP that the tournament will be flexible and that he has instructed chair umpires "to keep it fair, keep it consistent......
...Novak Djokovic, who beat Rafael Nadal in a record-setting, five-hour and 53-minute final at the 2012 Australian Open, says that he will follow the letter of the law.
"I guess Nadal and myself, we're right up there mentioned in that topic as the players who would be always in danger of the time violation because of the time we are taking between the points,” he said. "It is the way it is. I cannot have any complaints when I take more than 20 seconds between the points. If the chair umpire comes to me and said, ‘Listen, you should be a little bit more careful about it.' If I do it again, he gives me warning, I can't complain about it. It's within the rules and I will respect it."
Full article at
http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2013/01/aussie-open-umps-will-be-flexible-time-violations/45964/#.UPKzXdmZh8F
