“It’s crazy that the ITF didn’t ask how I was doing”: Cristian Garin addresses Davis Cup controversy

ATP
Friday, 07 February 2025 at 20:15
christian garin madrid 2021

Former world No. 17 Cristian Garin found himself at the center of controversy during his Davis Cup match against Zizou Bergs after a bizarre disqualification following a collision with the Belgian. The series was decided in favor of the Europeans amid heated debates over the correct application of the rules.

It was undoubtedly one of the most striking moments of the week and the year so far in the tennis world. While Garin and Bergs were battling in a crucial match for their respective countries’ chances of advancing to the second round, Bergs secured a break in the third set, putting him up 6-5. In his excitement, he ran toward his bench and collided with Garin, sending the Chilean to the ground. Garin then refused to return to the court, demanding his opponent’s disqualification.

“I didn’t understand how it all happened" - Cristian Garin

While Bergs and his team argued that the world No. 61 had no intent to hit the Chilean, Garin and his captain, Nicolas Massu, insisted that the Belgian should have been disqualified for physical aggression.

Garin refused to continue playing, and after three time violations, the match was awarded to Bergs, securing Belgium’s qualification to the next round and eliminating Chile.

“I think we deserve something—I don’t know what—but it’s crazy that the ITF didn’t ask how I was doing,” Garin said in an interview for Radio Pauta in Chile. “He was completely out of control, and in the collision, he hit me in the eye after three hours of playing at 170 bpm. Getting hit in the face like that… The act itself looked malicious because it was totally avoidable,” he added.

“I was really upset. I didn’t understand how it all happened, that he had actually come and hit me… it was very strange.”

The former Wimbledon quarterfinalist champion also criticized the response of the tournament’s official doctor: “He asked if I could play, and I told him, ‘Aren’t you going to examine me?’ When someone gets hit in the head, they usually bring a flashlight to check, and this was eight minutes after I got hit.”

Garin then questioned the situation further: “I wonder what would have happened if Bergs had hit the umpire—why would that be any different? There are so many things that don’t make sense. My eye was twitching, I had a red mark—not bleeding, but I couldn’t play at 100%,” he concldued.

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