Pee-gate Protest at Wimbledon
there remains one basic area of human biology to address
in which Science has further things to know
but at least for now, when you've got to go, you've got to go
whether or not some outside umpire tells you so,
And it could macho tennis players further infuriate
should that umpire turn out to be lacking a prostate
and therefore be quite likely to make a mistake
in underestimating the urgent need for a bathroom break.
So may I make this Shakespearean suggestion,
when To pee or Not to pee is the Question:
Someday they could change the rules to make for a shorter lull
and use ultrasound to check when a player's bladder is too full
and then perhaps also figure out some imaginative plan
to advertise (sic) this new use for the tennis ball can.
HzL
7/5/16
Images of official tennis ball at wimbledon
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Slazenger : The Wimbledon Ball - Tennis Balls
Wimbledon 2016: Pee-gate protest disrupts men's doubles at match point
Wimbledon has witnessed some bizarre rows in its 130-year history but the curious case of a refused bathroom break and a tennis ball container may top the lot.
At triple match point down in their men’s doubles third-round clash with Britain’s Jonny Marray and Canada’s Adil Shamasin on Monday, Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas and Marcel Granollers of Spain staged a sit-in on Court 7 after one of them was accused of threatening to relieve himself in a ball can.
Following almost four hours of a five-set marathon, the 15th seeds were denied a bathroom break by umpire Aurelie Tourte, who – following their reaction – handed the pair a code violation for what she deemed unsportsmanlike conduct.
When she imposed a second code violation minutes later for smashing the ball out of court, Tourte docked Cuevas and Granollers a point, gifting Marray and Shamasin triple match point.
Incensed at the perceived injustice of the previous violation, the offending duo refused to continue, returning to their seats as their opponents looked on in bemusement.
After a delay of more than 10 minutes and with the threat of forfeiture hanging over them, Cuevas and Granollers eventually returned to play what proved to be the final two points, losing 6-3 4-6 6-4 3-6 14-12.
The pair’s protest resumed after the handshakes, with the container in question thrust in the direction of Tourte, who had to be led away from a fuming Granollers.
The Spaniard had hardly calmed down afterwards when trying to explain the incident, promising to lodge a formal complaint about the umpire with the referee’s office.
“She lied, she lied,” he said, claiming his English was not good enough to explain precisely what had occurred. “She thought one thing that was not true.”
Marray and Shamasin were unclear themselves as to exactly what had sparked the row.
“It was something to do with a can or something. I really don’t know,” Shamasin said. “I think it had something to with, even, bathroom breaks or something.”
Marray added: “I don’t think the chair umpire really had the match controlled. I don’t think she handled it correctly, either, even at the end.
“She tried to tell them to carry on but they wouldn’t do it. It wasn’t ideal. They were obviously very angry. They were just refusing to get out and play.”
Marray said he could understand if Cuevas and Granollers were upset over being refused a bathroom break but insisted that should not excuse their conduct towards Tourte.
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