‘Most controversial match point ever’ leaves tennis seeing red

Tennis star Jack Draper has come under heavy fire after securing a win despite replays showing the final point shouldn’t have counted.

The controversial final point of the match

Jack Draper’s win over Felix Auger-Aliassime at the Cincinnati Open came with the “most controversial match point ever”.

The three-set contest between the two men finished marred in controversy when Draper claimed the 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 victory.

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The final point of the match left Auger-Aliassime seeing red as he argued the ball had come off the frame of his opponent’s racquet.

The ball wedged off the bottom of the racquet and onto the court before it looped up and over the net, hitting the cord and falling onto the other side of the net.

Draper and the crowd looked confused in the immediate aftermath before the chair umpire ruled in the favour of Britain’s top ranked player.

“I’m ruling that was a fair shot. Game, set and match, Draper,” he said.

The Canadian couldn’t believe the ruling and instantly took issue with the chair umpire and the point being awarded.

“That is horrendous what you just did. Did you not see the ball bounce on the floor? He shanked it onto the floor! We’re going to leave here, this will be everywhere and it’s going to look ridiculous,” he said.

The controversial final point of the match. Credit: Tennis TV.

Draper interjected into the conversation, but Auger-Aliassime wasn’t interested as he continue to vent before a supervisor came out onto the court.

Eventually the Canadian gave the chair umpire one final shot to say his peace.

“If you’re 100 per cent sure that you’re not going to leave here and that you have no doubt no ounce of doubt in yourself that that was a clean volley winner, and if you tell me yes, I’ll shake (Draper’s) hand and the match will be over,” he said.

The chair umpire confirmed his confidence as both men embraced and left the court as more boos rang out from the stands.

Replays showed the Brit star should not have been awarded the point with current and past players left in disbelief over how the match finished.

Andy Roddick wrote on X: “I feel like every time I’ve ever shanked a ball straight into the ground, I’ve known that I shanked it straight into the ground. Also if you have the tech, just get the call right. Takes longer to argue about it.”

Nick Kyrgios wrote: “Horrible call, but every player knows you know exactly where you hit it. Ridiculous stuff.”

Stefanos Tsitsipas wrote: “I don’t think I have ever seen a shot like this.”

Tennis TV labelled it “The most controversial match point ever! What just happened?”

Serbian star Novak Djokovic also weighed in writing: It’s embarrassing that we don’t have video replay of these kind of situations on the court.

“What’s even more ridiculous is that we don’t have the rule in place that would allow chair umpires to change the original call based on the video review that happens off the court!

“Everyone who watches TV sees what happened on the replay, yet the players on the court are kept in “dark” not knowing what’s the outcome.

“We have Hawkeye for line calls, we live in the technologically advanced 21st century! Please respective Tours, make sure this nonsense never happens again!”

It’s embarrassing that we don’t have video replay of these kind of situations on the court. What’s even more ridiculous is that we don’t have the rule in place that would allow chair umpires to change the original call based on the video review that happens off the court!… https://t.co/MQsmqpTmXK

— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) August 17, 2024

Draper spoke after the match was finally concluded and doubled down saying he wasn’t sure what had happened.

“I was too busy looking at him (Auger-Aliassime). I didn’t see what happened. I looked at the umpire straight away to see if he called a double bounce or not. As a player, I’m trying to focus on what I’m doing,” he said.

“I can’t make that call if I’m not 100 per cent. I said, when the supervisor came on, that if it was a double bounce and that he saw it clearly then I would have 100 per cent replayed the point.”

The British star will now go up against 15th seed Holger Rune who rallied from a set down to secure the win over Gael Monfils.

Jannick Sinner and Alexander Zverev took care of business in their quarterfinal contests while Frances Tiafoe and Hubert Hurkacz will square off in the other quarterfinal.

Originally published as ‘Most controversial match point ever’ leaves tennis seeing red