Yehovah Kelvin
Jack Draper beat Felix Auger-Aliassime in controversial circumstances at the Cincinnati Open as Carlos Alcaraz smashed his racquet during a defeat by Gael Monfils.
Draper emerged a 5-7 6-4 6-4 winner, despite Auger-Aliassime arguing with the umpire that the Briton should not have been awarded the final point of their last-16 match.
The Canadian claimed the ball had hit the frame of Draper’s racket and then the floor on match point, saying his opponent “shanked it on the floor”, though the umpire disagreed.
Auger-Aliassime eventually conceded defeat, although replays appeared to back up his claim.
“I was too busy looking at him,” said Draper during his on-court interview following the match.
“I didn’t see what happened. I looked at the umpire straight away to see if he called a double bounce or not.
“As a player, I’m trying to focus on what I’m doing. I can’t make that call if I’m not 100%.
“I said, when the supervisor came on, that if it was a double bounce and that he saw it clearly then I would have 100% replayed the point.”
Auger-Aliassime faced Draper having beaten Casper Ruud 6-3 6-1 earlier in the day in a match delayed by rain.
Draper, who will play Holger Rune in the quarter-finals, added: “We’ve had a long battle out here and it would be ultra unfair on Felix if the match was won in that kind of way.
“I really couldn’t make that call myself because I really didn’t see it.”
Draper beat Stefanos Tsitsipas in the previous round and, in response to the match point controversy, the Greek posted a message on social media saying, “oh my”.
He added: “I don’t think I have ever seen a shot like this.”
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