Chris Evert
lamented the lack of technology in the incident between
Felix Auger-Aliassime
and
Jack Draper during the
Cincinnati Open Round of 16. The former world No. 1
reacted to journalist Jon Wertheim's opinions and seemingly regretted the
absence of a video review system.
Evert Criticizes Lack of Technology
In a tight
match, Auger-Aliassime had taken the first set 7-5, while Draper secured the
second set 6-4. In the third set, Draper gained the advantage with a break and
was serving at 5-4 with match point when a peculiar point occurred.
The British
No. 1 received a short ball from Felix and responded with an unusual volley
that seemed to bounce twice before crossing the net. However, chair umpire Greg
Allensworth did not notice the double bounce and awarded the point to Draper,
guaranteeing his place in the quarterfinals.
Auger-Aliassime
confronted the umpire in an on-court exchange, insisting that Draper’s volley
had hit the ground before crossing the net. With no video review system
available, the chair umpire upheld the original decision.
Several
players and tennis stars have weighed in on the controversy, including Novak
Djokovic, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Sloane Stephens. This time, 18-time Grand
Slam champion Chris Evert joined the discussion after responding to tennis
journalist Jon Wertheim, who criticized the absence of technology.
"It's
absurd there's no video review. When technology exists—and it does here—use
it,” he wrote on X. "Hard to condemn a player for not conceding a point.
But if Draper takes Felix at his word, offers to replay the point (or even
plays a deuce point), win or lose, his gesture is celebrated
internationally....," he added.
Evert
reposted the journalist’s opinion and added: "ugh, and such a crucial
point in this match...," the American former world No. 1 responded.
