TIMES OF INDIA - Thursday, Oct 24, 2002 - NILANJAN DATTA

NEW DELHI: It's about three important characters, the Chair Umpire, the Assistant referee and the Tournament Referee. But it's not all about co-ordination between them.

Kedar Tembe, who had upset national grasscourt champion Manoj Mahadevan in first round was one set up and was leading 5-4 in the second set tie-break against Parantap Chaturvedi in the men's singles of DSCL national tennis championships on Wednesday when the latter suffered a pulled muscle and was treated for it. Not for three minutes, as per the rules, but for eight minutes. Tembe lost the tie-break and the action moved to decider.

Chaturvedi was exhausted by then. Struggling to return, he fell down trying to reach for a forehand. And even as the Tournament Referee was seen speaking to him, the Chair Umpire dished out a time penalty to the player. Tembe won 6-2, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (1).

"I don't know what the rule is," Tembe said. "I believe he was suffering from cramps and there can be no medical break for that," he maintained. A fatigued Chaturvedi, however, was not in a position to speak. "It's outrageous. The organisers scheduled his two matches within a span of two hours. He barely got half an hour between the two," said Himanshu Chaturvedi, his coach and mentor. The other match was Parantap's 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 win against top-seeded Somdev Verman in the U-18 boys singles.

Weariness also took its toll on top seeded Sunil Kumar Sipaeya, who conceded his match to Kamala Kannan due to "breathing problems." Kannan led 5-7, 7-6 (5), 1-0 when Sipaeya pulled out. "I am suffering from cough and cold since my return from Busan. We were having long rallies and it became impossible to continue," he said.