Tim Henman 'disappointed' with Holger Rune amid double bounce controversy: "For me the good sportsmanship is admitting"

Tuesday, 06 June 2023 at 17:00

Tim Henman has hit back at Holger Rune amid his double bounce controversy saying he was disappointed with him not admitting it to the umpire at the French Open.

Cerundolo was irate as the umpire saw in favour of Rune and also penalised him for stepping on the court to smash it when a ball boy appeared and Henman cited a similar incident with Cerundolo facing Andy Murray where he put his hand up.

Read also

"It’s not an easy call for the umpire, but both players knew that the ball had bounced twice," Henman told Eurosport.

"The ball boy moved at the net, so then the umpire called a let. Cerundolo was saying that the ball bounced twice. That’s clearly a double bounce.

"As a player, you know that. I’m a little disappointed in Rune. He’s young and perhaps that hasn’t happened to him too often. For me, it's a double bounce, and that’s your responsibility.

"You can say that it’s the umpire’s call and play to the umpire’s call, but for me, the good sportsmanship is that [admitting the double bounce].

"Cerundolo did the same thing to [Andy] Murray at the US Open. There was a double bounce and he put his hand up and said it bounded twice. I have a lot of respect for that. It was a tricky one that ended up costing Cerundolo."

'Referee's fault not the player' - Becker

Boris Becker also chimed in surrounding the controversial moment and said it was the referee's fault not the player in a differing view.

"I saw the scene exactly in slow motion," Becker said. "There is no question that it bounced twice. Cerundolo saw that and therefore stopped. In my opinion, it was a wrong decision against Cerundolo.

"The player [Rune] has noticed that 100 percent, the question is: do you admit that? There are professionals who do that and others who do not.

"But it is the referee's job because he made the mistake here, not the player."

Read also

Cycling on TNT Sports

@cyclingontnt

·Follow

👀 The umpire misses a clear double-bounce 😬 The ball kid steps onto the court at the same time 🤯 Cerundolo ends up being broken at the end of the game 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐲 in the match between Holger Rune and Francisco Cerundolo! 😲 #RolandGarros

Watch on X

3:39 PM · Jun 5, 2023

388

Read 84 replies

Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief

Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.

Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.

See author's posts

claps 0visitors 0

"It was just instinct, just like I do at all my matches": Sabalenka explains decision to wait at net for Svitolina at Roland Garros

2023 Eastbourne International ATP Entry List including Fritz, Paul, De Minaur, Cerundolo and Dimitrov