# Tennis Question
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennis-question/819353
**Category:** The Game Room
**Created:** [August 9, 2018, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennis-question/819353 "2018-08-09T17:41:06Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2018, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennis-question/819353/1 "2018-08-09T17:41:06Z")
If player A hits the ball over the net with so much backspin that it bounces back over the net without player B hitting it,and player A fails to return it, the point belongs to player A, is this correct?
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### Author:  [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2018, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennis-question/819353/2 "2018-08-09T17:44:09Z")
I’m not sure, but I would believe this to be physically impossible anyway.
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### Author:  [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2018, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennis-question/819353/3 "2018-08-09T17:47:43Z")
> [@Leaffan](#):
>
> I’m not sure, but I would believe this to be physically impossible anyway.
Nope, damn near happened here at the 32 second mark
[![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MghEUw6fHxY)
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### Author:  [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2018, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennis-question/819353/4 "2018-08-09T17:55:25Z")
Ok, nevermind, I just found the answer. It happens, and player A is awarded the point.
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### Author:  [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2018, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennis-question/819353/5 "2018-08-09T17:57:35Z")
As long as the first bounce over the net is in play, it doesn’t matter where the second - scoring - one is.
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### Author:  [@borschevsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/borschevsky)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2018, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennis-question/819353/6 "2018-08-09T17:59:54Z")
It does happen occasionally. Raonic successfully plays a ball that’s bounced back over the net in [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7JxYa-PiB8).
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### Author:  [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2018, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennis-question/819353/7 "2018-08-11T01:40:50Z")
> [@Leaffan](#):
>
> I’m not sure, but I would believe this to be physically impossible anyway.
Curious why you think this.
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### Author:  [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2018, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennis-question/819353/8 "2018-08-11T23:00:02Z")
It can definitely happen.
You are correct that Player A wins the point. This situation is the only time that the opposing player can reach over the net in an attempt to strike the ball. The player can’t touch the net (nor make contact with racket or clothing) but this is the one time the player can break the plane in order to play the ball.
Incidentally it’s not just under spin that can bring the ball over. If conditions are sufficiently windy, a strong gust will do the trick as well.