MD10 FLT CREW DOES NOT MEET XING RESTR.

Narrative

APCHING HLI VOR FROM THE SE ON THE HOLLY ARR INTO MEMPHIS. PREVIOUSLY ZME HAD TO CLR US TO DSND; PLT'S DISCRETION; TO FL240. LEAVING TOP-OF-DSCNT WITH THE FMS PROFILE PRE-PROGRAMMED TO CROSS MEGGY INTXN AT 10000 FT; AS EXPECTED ON THE HOLLY ARR CHART; THE CTR CTLR ASSIGNS US A SPD RESTR OF 280 KIAS. APCHING FL240 WE ARE GIVEN A FREQ CHANGE AND THE NEWLY ASSIGNED CTLR CLRS US TO CROSS MEGGY AT 10000 FT. APPROX 25 NM FROM MEGGY ATC IS NOTIFIED WE CANNOT MEET THE XING RESTR BECAUSE OF OUR REDUCED SPD. THE CTLR RESPONDS BY AMENDING THE CLRNC TO 'DSND TO 17000 FT; NORMAL SPD.' A SHORT TIME LATER THE CTLR VECTORS US OFF THE ARR RTE BY ASSIGNING A HDG OF 240 DEGS. BY NOW; DUE TO 'PUSHING THE NOSE OVER;' WE ARE BACK ON PROFILE AND CAN COMPLY WITH THE XING RESTR BUT PRIOR TO ROLLING OUT ON THE NEWLY ASSIGNED HDG HE STATES; 'CROSS 10 S OF HOLLY AT 10000.' (THINKING HE NOW WANTS US TO PROCEED DIRECT TO THE VOR WE REPROGRAM THE FMS NAV TO GO DIRECT HLI VOR.) SHORTLY THEREAFTER SAME CTLR ASKS IF WE'RE HDG 240? I REPLY; 'NO; I THOUGHT YOU CLRED US TO GO DIRECT HOLLY -- HOW CAN I CROSS 10 OUT OF HOLLY IF I'M NOT GOING TO IT?' AT WHICH TIME THE SUPERVISING CTLR CUTS IN AND INFORMS US A PLTDEV RPT IS BEING FILED AND TO CONTACT THEM ON THE GND.