Umpire allegedly snatches crucial point from tennis competitor, triggering Kyrgios' outburst
Bad luck struck Stan Wawrinka during the Masters tournament in Shanghai: The veteran player putting in a commendable performance against the 17-year-younger Flavio Cobolli, eventually, saw a strange turn of events from the referee's end - leading to a questionable decision that sealed his fate.
Wawrinka, a 39-year-old Swiss champion with three Grand Slam titles under his belt, had a tough and tightly contested match against the young Italian Cobolli. Both players showed exceptional determination, pushing each other to two tiebreaks and eventually a third set.
During the opening game of the decisive set, with Wawrinka serving, referee Carlos Bernardes declared a point in Cobolli's favor - incorrectly, as it should have been Wawrinka's point. Bernardes called out the correct score, but in his distraction while tending to the exhausted Cobolli following two grueling sets, he failed to correctly update the scoreboard.
Cobolli took advantage of the mistake and won the second challenge point, with the scoreboard still showing an incorrect 0-30 score in Cobolli's favor. Both players and their teams missed this critical detail, allowing Cobolli to secure the sole break of the game and eventually win 6-7, 7-6, 6-3.
"What went wrong?"
Both Wawrinka and Cobolli initially remained silent, as did the ATP. However, Wawrinka's fellow player Nick Kyrgios was outraged: "BERNARDES SHOULD HAVE BEEN SHOWN THE DOOR MUCH EARLIER. HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN? Potato," wrote Kyrgios, currently working towards his return to the tour. Earlier in the season, Bernardes, who has been a part of the ATP Tour since 1992, announced that he would be retiring at the end of the season.
Despite the incident, Wawrinka, who once ranked third in the world and now stands at 236, will have to carry on through this challenging season, having won only six matches throughout the year and never consecutively. The obstacles seemed insurmountable - even those originating outside the court. Later, Cobolli acknowledged his youthful admiration for Wawrinka after the dramatic, twist-filled encounter, saying, "Grazie Stan," and Wawrinka responded with several heart emojis on Twitter but declined to comment on the controversial point swap.
Despite the controversy surrounding the referee's decision affecting his game, Wawrinka remains dedicated to his love for Sports, continuing to participate in various tournaments. The unfortunate incident in Shanghai served as a hard lesson, underscoring the importance of accurate officiating in high-stakes Sports events.
