Tennis world left baffled over bizarre ending to Challenger match
The opposition couldn't believe how the final point finished on the Challenger Event.
The tennis world has been left stunned after a doubles challenger match ended when the server hit the opposing player on the full to claim the win. Matteo Gigante and Francesco Passaro took on second-seeds Marco Bortolotti and Sergio Gornes in the Tenerife Challenge 2 semi-final.
The underdogs were up and had a match point on Gigante's serve. The Italian missed the first serve, but in a bizarre sequence of play his second serve hit Gornes at the net.
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Gornes attempted to dodge the serve, which was clearly going out, but it clipped his foot on the full. This chair umpire awarded Gigante and Passaro the point and therefore the match.
Gornes was clearly upset having dropped his racquet and approached the chair umpire about the rules. However, the match was made even more bizarre because the exact same rule had come into play earlier in the match.
Passaro had hit Bortolotti at the net earlier and was awarded the point in the first set. While only moments before match point, Gigante had nearly hit Gornes to win a point.
While Bortolotti and Gornes showed their sportsmanship and took the loss well, considering the circumstances, many on social media were divided over the ending. Some claimed that the second serve was deliberate and was a 'dirty' tactic to win the point.
Others claimed it was an accident and it was just an unfortunate turn of events.
I've never seen this on match point before, but why not :)
— Damian Kust (@damiankust) February 3, 2023
Oooo then just a bold move by the server
— Will Boucek (@WillBoucek) February 3, 2023
Love how he acted like it was an accident lmao
— ⚡️Buzzer Picks⚡️ (@BuzzerPicks) February 3, 2023
Tactic for sure. And a dirty one
— Carlos Estrada (@MrVigilanteBTC) February 4, 2023
That’s gutsy on a 2nd serve. Net guy moves and the whole set is back on serve
— Jason Connor (@jasontconnor) February 3, 2023
You can hear there was clearly a small shank on the serve.
Happy accident.— Mattcasfan (@mattcasfan) February 3, 2023
One thing is clear - if this rule is not changed, it will become a tactic.
— Gary Newcombe (@newkstar) February 3, 2023
While the due advanced to the final on a controversial point they were not able to win the Challenger Event.
Germany level against Switzerland in Davis Cup
Elsewhere, Alexander Zverev defeated Stan Wawrinka on his fifth match point to help Germany draw level with Switzerland 1-1 at the Davis Cup.
"I am very proud to be on court here. That is what the Davis Cup is about. I hope we can also play semi-finals and finale in front of a home crowd in the future," he said in reference to potential tournament reforms.
The winner of the tie, which is completed Saturday with the doubles rubber and the reverse singles, advances into a group stage from which the best teams advance to the finals event.
Among the 4,000-strong crowd in Trier was three-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker who has been released from prison in Britain after being sentenced for not properly declaring assets during bankruptcy proceedings.
with AAP
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