"Cause I can play games too. I can play games too": Auger-Aliassime annoyed with referee in Laver Cup match against Monfils

The rules of the Laver Cup caused confusion among the participants during the match between Felix Auger-Aliassime and Gael Monfils, leading to a discussion.

World No. 14 won the encounter 6-4, 6-3, giving Team World their third point amidst arguments with the chair umpire over the time Monfils took to get ready between points.

“Are you sticking to the ATP rules? Are you telling me that’s normal? He sits down for like 30 seconds. I mean, that a time violation warning. That’s not, ‘I’m gonna talk to him.’ Cause I can play games too. I can play games too,” Auger Aliassime said.

Before that match, in the opening match, Ben Shelton defeated Arthur Fils 7-6(4), 6-1, where there were also doubts regarding the time, but he used that to dictate the pace of the match.

“Yeah, I thought at the beginning of that match I was a little nervy going from point to point. It felt fast and felt like, you know, he was playing well and he was kind of on top of me, dictating points and kind of the rhythm of the match," Shelton said.

“Then, you know, I kind of looked around to see if there was a game clock running out like usually we have at ATP tournaments. I didn't really - I didn't see anything,” he added.

"So I started taking more time, and I was waiting to see if - I mean, I don't think I was going over, like 25 seconds is normal, but I was waiting to see if I got a time violation and nothing happened.

"So maybe there is not a time clock in this event, which, you know, when I was down Love-30 and took a little bit more time in a couple service games, I thought it kind of helped me dial things in and change the rhythm a little bit of the match.

"Like I said, I wasn't trying to go outside the rules or go too slow, but just taking a little bit more time without seeing the clock run down I thought helped me," Shelton concluded.