(VIDEO) Drama at Cincinnati Open as umpire stops point mid-rally in bizarre Fritz and Nakashima moment
ATPWednesday, 14 August 2024 at 23:03
Taylor Fritz was dumped out in the opening round of the Cincinnati Open. But one moment in particular stood out among the rest and that was an incredulous line-call which saw the match stopped mid point.
Fritz lost out to Brandon Nakashima with the American claiming the opening set 6-4. Leading 3-2 in the second set, Fritz had the chance for a vital break when the match veered in Nakashima's direction albeit not intentionally. As they took in an intense rally, Nakashima hit a shot that appeared to land out but was not flagged on the Hawkeye.
Play continued until a delayed call arrived prompting the chair umpire to stop the match mid point. He ordered a replay of the point. As expected Fritz was perplexed by the decision and voiced his frustration to the umpire. They argued that the shot would've been reviewed if Fritz had stopped it immediately albeit he wouldn't have known anyway due to the delay in the system.
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So overall descending into a farce which didn't help the cause of Fritz who went on to be beaten in what was a defining moment of the clash in this instance.
"If you would've stopped the point...," the umpire said.
"Okay no wait, no no no no. Don't tell me that I need to stop the point when we have electronic line calling," Taylor Fritz retorted.
"I know but that's how it works. You could have stopped the point and we could have looked at it then," the umpire continued.
"I mean yeah if we didn't have electronic line calling, I stop. The ball was so far out," Fritz said in response.
"Yeah but why don't you stop it? You're in the chair. You saw that ball, it was like a foot out," the American said.
"For me, I thought it was out too but I can't do that," the umpire said. "It's actually ridiculous," Taylor Fritz responded.
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.
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