Sports

WATCH: Frances Tiafoe wins point against Milos Raonic after bizarre net incident | Tennis News

Milos Raonic beat Frances Tiafoe 6-7(12), 7-6(4), 6-3 in a first-round match at the National Bank Open in Toronto, where both players battled to a 26-point first-set tie-break.
However, the biggest talking point in the game came when Tiafoe was leading 13/12 in the tie-break. After a long rally, a return from the Canadian tennis player hit the net and bounced up. Tiafoe chased after the ball, got to it and angled a cross-court winner past Raonic.
Since his momentum led him to touch the net before the ball had bounced twice, Raonic believed that he should have won the point. the Canadian would be awarded the point.
But chair umpire Fergus Murphy disagreed.
Murphy initially ruled the point in Raonic’s favour, penalising his opponent for a net touch. But he quickly backtracked, correcting himself. Reason? Tiafoe had touched the net outside of the singles stick.

THE DRAMA!!! 😱
Have you EVER seen anything like this?#NBO23 pic.twitter.com/dQhM1VXqJS
— Tennis TV (@TennV) August 8, 2023
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
The court microphones caught Murphy explaining his decision. “Frances, wait, this is complicated… This section of the net doesn’t count as a touch. Only after the singles post (should a touch count),” Murphy told Raonic.
A second on-court official confirmed the decision. The decision riled up Raonic, who smashed his racket on the bench.
“I don’t have faith that they were being completely honest, but it is what it is,” Raonic said later on after beating his ninth seeded opponent. “I think they just handled it badly. Whatever the rule (was), I just don’t think it was handled (well).”
The partisan crowd at Sobeys Stadium also very left angered the decision.
The ATP Masters 1000 tennis tournament in Toronto is Raonic’s third appearance at a tournament since returning to the ATP Tour in June after an injury absence of nearly two years.
The Canadian tennis player is playing in what he has said might be his farewell appearance on home soil. He received treatment on his lower back during the match.
“Tiafoe touched the area between the singles stick and net post. This area is considered a permanent fixture so not part of the net,” read a statement from tournament referee Tony Cho explaining the decision.
Here’s what the rule book says:
Section S in Chapter VII of the ATP Rulebook addresses miscellaneous officiating cases and decisions. It reads as follows:
Player Touches Net Outside of Singles StickCase: A player runs for a drop shot and returns it into the opponent’s court and then runs into net between net post and singles stick. What is the ruling?
Decision: Play continues. This part of the net is considered a permanent fixture.

Related Articles

Back to top button