Scandal in tennis: Ten loses a game that he was given for won

Canadian tennis player Steven Diez and Iranian chair umpire Amir Borghei starred in one of the most controversial matches of the year on the ATP circuit, after the referee gave the North American the match against the Dutch Gijs Brouwer in the preliminary phase of the tournament in Houston (United States) for later rectify his decision and order to continue a match that finally ended in defeat for Diez.

With 6-4, 5-4 and an advantage for Diez -292 in the world-, Brouwer served and the Canadian returned a winning return to close the contest and celebrate the victory after the chair umpire shouted ‘game, set and match’; with this, the pass to the final table of the tournament was guaranteed.

However, Borghei decided to go down to see the mark and determined that the ball had been bad and that Brouwer had not wanted to play the point, forcing the match to resume. What happened unhinged Diez, who ended up losing the match (4-6, 7-5, 6-2). In spite of everything, he was finally able to enter the final table as a ‘lucky loser’ due to the loss of the Spanish Jaume Munar.

Hours later, Ten analyzed everything that happened, something “very difficult to describe in words.” “In addition to the ATP Cup, this last year and a half has been very difficult for me, with personal problems, injuries and, to be honest, not playing my best tennis. In these last few weeks I started to play a little better, but suddenly this happens to me,” he said.

In addition, it defends that Brouwer did want to play the point, contrary to what the judge determined. “In the video you can see how I won the match with a ‘passing’ that my opponent is clearly trying to reach, and even turns his head to see the ball pass. After celebrating and when I was about to shake my opponent’s hand, the chair umpire decided to review the mark when the game was over and it was too late to score the ball. That was the first big mistake of his,” he noted.

“The second mistake is that he marks a ball that is literally one meter from the actual mark. Third mistake: he asks the line judge if he sees the mark. The man clearly points to the correct one, and despite that he keeps your wrong brand. Fourth error: it tells me that my opponent did not want to serve and volley and that he did not want to play the point. And fifth mistake, and the most important: the chair umpire says ‘game, set and match'”, he continued.

The Canadian criticized that you never see “a chair umpire pay for his mistakes”, and, on the other hand, when a tennis player does not do his job well “he catches the flight back home with zero points and less money in his pockets” . “Today, after having suffered the greatest injustice of my entire life, some justice was done. Call it God, karma, or whatever. I was able to enter as ‘lucky loser’ and I will play again. But this is something that can happen to any player. The ATP has to review if some chair umpires have the level to run their tournaments,” he concluded.