'Ridiculous' umpiring call causes heated on-court argument as Felix Auger-Aliassime suffers 'most controversial' defeat

Felix Auger-Aliassime's run at the Cincinnati Open ended in a controversial defeat in the Round of 16 against Jack Draper. The Canadian was on the verge of leveling the match when a contentious decision by chair umpire Greg Allensworth awarded the victory to Draper. Draper hit a shot at the match point that seemed to bounce on his side of the court before going over the net, which should have given Auger-Aliassime the point. However, without access to instant replay, Allensworth ruled in Draper's favor, causing significant debate on the court. Felix Auger-Aliassime argues with umpire after the controversial call(X)

Auger-Aliassime, who had earlier in the day convincingly defeated Casper Ruud, was visibly frustrated by the decision. He engaged in a lengthy discussion with both Draper and the umpire, arguing that the point should have been awarded to him due to the double bounce.

"Did you not see the ball bounce on the court?" he asked the umpire. "I did not see that," the chair umpire replied.

Despite his protests and a subsequent intervention by the tournament supervisor, the umpire's decision stood, and Draper advanced with a 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 victory. The incident sparked further discussion about the absence of video review technology at most tennis tournaments, which could have quickly clarified the situation.

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This match was not the only controversy at the Cincinnati Open that week. Earlier, in a match between Taylor Fritz and Brandon Nakashima, an error in the electronic line-calling system led to a delayed call that disrupted the flow of the match. Fritz was left questioning why the point wasn't immediately ruled out. Both incidents involved umpire Greg Allensworth, who followed standard protocols but was limited by the tools at his disposal.

The controversy surrounding Auger-Aliassime's match reignited calls for broader implementation of video review systems in tennis, similar to those used at the US Open. While the US Open has invested in this technology, most other tournaments, including the Cincinnati Open, have not, leaving players and fans frustrated when critical points are decided by potentially incorrect human judgment. This issue is not new; players like Denis Shapovalov and Daniil Medvedev have previously raised concerns about the consistency and accuracy of officiating in tennis.

Auger-Aliassime expressed confidence that he would realize the error once the umpire reviewed the footage after the match. "It's going to look ridiculous," he said. Draper, too, seemed uncertain about the legitimacy of the point, indicating that he would have been willing to continue the match if a replay had been available.

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