Calls for VAR in tennis have reignited in Cincinnati after a controversial ending to Jack Draper’s third round victory.
The British number one is into the quarter-finals in Ohio after a 5-7 6-4 6-4 victory over Felix Auger-Aliassime.
However that result was not the main headline to come out of the match as the last point of the contest proved to be the most controversial.
On match point to Draper appeared to have hit a net cord winner to seal a dramatic win.
The replay though shows that Draper hit the shot into the ground before the ball bounced on the other side of the net.
Felix Auger-Aliassime robbed in Cincinnati. The umpire gave Jake Draper this point. And it was match point. pic.twitter.com/haWF4k765a
— Alfredo Hinny (@alfredohinny) August 17, 2024
As Draper went to celebrate, umpire Greg Allensworth announced that he deemed the shot to be legal and announced that Draper had won the match to Auger-Aliassime’s bemusement.
Both players cautiously approached the net with Auger-Aliassime protesting the result before eventually shaking Draper’s hand, “That’s horrendous what you just did,” the Canadian said in the exchange to the umpire.
“But did you not see the ball bounce on the floor? He shanked it on the floor after he hit it. You’re going to get out now then it’s going to be everywhere and it’s going to look ridiculous.”
It’s not the first time this week Allensworth has been the centre of controversy after denying Fritz a point when the ball was six feet long which hawkeye live failed to call.
This latest controversial incident will only reignite the debate over VAR in tennis with a number of recent incidents displaying the need for the technology.
VAR has been used in the past at the Nitto ATP Finals and at the US Open but is yet to be implemented on the main tour.
However as for Draper, the Brit won’t care that much as he is into the quarter-finals in Cincinnati where he will play Holger Rune.
