“Shameless guy” – Fans slam Jack Draper for ‘cheating’ against Felix Auger-Aliassime on match point in Cincinnati

Jack Draper vs. Felix Auger-Aliassime Cincinnati encounter adds to the officiating controversies happening in the tennis circuit recently.

“Shameless guy” – Fans slam Jack Draper for ‘cheating’ against Felix Auger-Aliassime on match point in Cincinnati

Jack Draper (R) and Felix Auger-Aliassime (L) (via BBC)

The tennis circuit is dominating headlines in the world of sport but for the wrong reasons. Jack Draper and Felix Auger-Aliassime played a thrilling three-set match on Friday night (August 16), but it ended in unfortunate circumstances.

On match point in the 10th game of the final set, Draper came to the net for a serve-and-volley but ended up framing the ball. The ball reportedly bounced on the left-hander’s side of the court before kissing the net tape and bouncing towards Auger-Aliassime’s side.

The situation was so alarming that the commentators caught it instantly. However, the final decision belonged to the chair umpire, who ruled it a fair shot. This decision sparked widespread reactions across the tennis community, including from current ATP players like Denis Shapovalov.

FS Video

There will be much more to come from this decision, though the majority agree that Draper should have conceded the point to ensure the match ended fairly.

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Netizens slam chair umpire and Jack Draper for the Cincinnati controversy

As soon as the match ended in Cincinnati, the tennis community exploded on X, calling out Jack Draper for his immaturity. Draper will now play Holger Rune in the quarterfinal.

Jack Draper Cincinnati
Jack Draper Cincinnati (via Imago)

Check out some reactions here:

The blame is shared between Draper and the chair umpire. Some fans have also claimed that the same chair umpire has been involved in two more controversies during the US Open series, yet they don’t understand how he still gets to officiate matches.

In another controversy, Taylor Fritz was denied a point against Brandon Nakashima. The 2022 Indian Wells winner would have won the point if there hadn’t been a technological glitch. However, the point was replayed. The ATP eventually changed the rule, stating that there will no longer be replays for missed calls.

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