Nadal: Umpires Not Here To Use Stopwatch

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Nadal: Umpires Not Here To Use Stopwatch

Rafael Nadal suggests chair umpire Carlos Ramos should take a time-out on hitting the fourth-seeded Spaniard with time violation warnings.

The nine-time Roland Garros champion crushed Roberto Bautista Agut, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2, rushing into the Roland Garros quarterfinals for the record-tying 11th time in 13 appearances.

Watch: Nadal Rushes Into 11th Roland Garros Quarterfinal

About the only quibble in a spotless performance came when chair umpire Carlos Ramos hit Nadal with a second time violation warning in the third set, resulting in a loss of a first serve.

Afterward, Nadal said he feels Ramos is looking "for my faults" and believes chair umpires should use greater discretion applying the Grand Slam rule, which limits players to 25 seconds between points.

"If you want to play well, you have to let players breathe a little. We're not machines that cannot think. That's my viewpoint," Nadal told the media in Paris. "What else can I say? I'm telling you this with some sadness, because I don't want to have any problems.

"But this umpire is, I think, trying, in a certain way, to look for my faults, my errors."

Throughout his career, Nadal's methodical pace of play puts him in conflict with time violation warnings. The former world No. 1 said if chair umpires are so fixated with their stop watches, then tennis should just put a shot clock on court.

"Theoretically the umpires are here to analyze the match and they are not here to use the stop watch, otherwise we should have a stop watch on the court," said Nadal. "That's the whole point. Some dictate things or give their calls in a certain way. Other umpires have different styles."

Photo credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty

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