In the tennis world, Novak Djokovic and Chris Evert are among the prominent figures who have weighed in on the recent controversy during the third-round match between Felix Auger-Aliassime and Jack Draper at the Cincinnati Open. The match, which saw Draper mount an impressive comeback to win 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, was marred by a contentious moment on match point. Draper attempted a volley, and chair umpire Greg Allensworth ruled the shot fair, stating that the ball had not double-bounced, thereby awarding the point and the match to the Brit.
Felix Auger-Aliassime, however, vehemently protested, arguing that the ball had bounced on Draper’s side of the net before crossing over. “You’re going to get out now, and it’s going to be everywhere. I’m serious. It’s going to look ridiculous. It’s gonna be crazy. And I know it’s not his place to make that call, it’s a match win for him, but it’s your place to make that call,” Auger-Aliassime expressed in frustration.
Despite his appeals, Auger-Aliassime’s protests were in vain, as there was no video replay available to review the call, and Draper was ultimately declared the winner. Since then, slow-motion replays of the incident have surfaced, revealing that the ball indeed deflected off Draper’s racket onto the court before crossing over to Auger-Aliassime’s side.
