Do you apologize if your opponent misses a serve?

[BaRanchik]

Recently played against a few players who apologized when I missed a serve.
Is that common? Seems excessive to me honestly.

 

[Lazer]

No way, I wouldn’t. If my ball hits the net or the table edge and I win it’s a different story….

Cheers
L-zr

 

[Attitude]

I learned from a switzerland guy, who play in the netherlands, that it is a common thing over there to do that. Im not used to that either, but it didnt bother me much. Usually i dont miss my serves though^^

 

[latej]

No, they thank me instead ;-)

 

[JJ Ng]

I do apologize if my opponent missed his serve. A couple players in the club would say sarcastrically that "thank you" (for missing your servce). I think that's poor form. those players might as well just be quiet.

 

[Gozo Aruna]

Recently played against a few players who apologized when I missed a serve.
Is that common? Seems excessive to me honestly.

False modesty is no modesty.

One should say instead, " Good serve, come on! One more good serve! "

or

As NDH once taught me, maintain an ice cold demeanour, no smile, no apology, no words... just like Jan Ove Waldner.

 

[mightymouse]

We are all friends so we usually just shout out "THANK YOU"

 

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

Like many Japanese players, i greet these serves usually by « rakki » a phonetic transcription of lucky. And the usual greeting when you get a lucky point or the opponent misses a penalty.

But sometimes when it’s tense and im
Super focused I can’t help jt and i let go a Chorei

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

I normally say thank you to them.
and if it is someone I know, I will say, give me another one

 

[enoxzr]

I learned from a switzerland guy, who play in the netherlands, that it is a common thing over there to do that. Im not used to that either, but it didnt bother me much. Usually i dont miss my serves though^^

I can stand by this, to my experience in the Netherlands it's common to say sorry or put up a quick hand when your opponent misses a serve, although not everyone does it a 100% of the time.

Speaking for myself, I do it too, but it's more of a courtesy sorry. The sorry for a missed serve is different in tone etc., from a sorry for an edge or netball.

I have a guy in my club who is one of the nicest guys to play against in regards to sorry's etc. He always says thank you on a missed serve by his opponent, as in thank you for the gift you are giving me.

 

[allfj]

I feel like its kind of rude to apoligize if your opponent misses a serve. Just don't say anything, it psyches them out even more.

 

[Tony Funk My Racket]

I played in the French league at lower divisions for years. There, some people say thank you when a serve is botched. Now I play in Finland. Here too, some people say thank you and some (rare) apologise. Personally, I stay quiet when the opponent misses a serve but apologise if I make a point with a net or edge ball.

 

[JeffM]

I say thanks to them. But here, ppl don't even apologize for net balls... instead they say, you saw that good shot?

 

[Gozo Aruna]

I say thanks to them. But here, ppl don't even apologize for net balls... instead they say, you saw that good shot?

They are just keeping it real. I applaud them for it. Others I have heard, " This is skillz! Beat that! "

I reiterate: False modesty is no modesty.

 

[Aijaz_000]

I just call "Hard luck".

 

[lodro]

I say: " Thank you, could you please do it again".

TT-Karma sooner or later will act as an equalizer so it will be my opposition that can have a grin on their face.
No big deal really.

 

[NDH]

I know one or two people who might "apologize" if their opponent misses a serve, but I'd say it's rare in the UK to hear it.

My own belief is that the best reaction is no reaction. Take your free point and move on.

Obviously when playing a friend (in a friendly match), acceptable responses are as follows:

CHOOOOOOO

CHOOO-LAY

CHOOO-MAMA

"You never could serve"

"More of that please"

"Don't do that at match point"

"I could see that was heavy float"

And anything else you can think of!

 

[v100ev]

I usually just "CHO" after an opponent misses his serve. But this is in friendly matches
About the topic.. Why would I apologize for my opponent's mistake though?
I've seen guys that thank you after you miss a serve.. acceptable.. and logical at least. But apologizing - never seen that.

 

[Dominikk85]

Recently played against a few players who apologized when I missed a serve.
Is that common? Seems excessive to me honestly.

Usually not unless it hit the edge or maybe when it was a bad outdoor table and hit a rough spot on the table and thus had a bad bounce.

 

[backspacer]

Never heard of that. I'm actually known for service errors in my club and it has a become a running gag so I laugh in jest whenever someone else does one.