"Beyond baffling, umpire's decision is egregious": Coco Gauff's coach Brad Gilbert rallies behind Felix Auger-Aliassime after Cincinnati controversy

Coco Gauff's coach Brad Gilbert recently weighed in on the controversy surrounding Felix Auger-Aliassime and Jack Draper. The incident occurred during the duo's third-round match at the 2024 Cincinnati Open.

Auger-Aliassime defeated Aleksandar Kovacevic and seventh seed Casper Ruud to set up a clash with \Draper, who had secured hard-fought wins over Jaume Munar and ninth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas. The two battled intensely, but the Brit ultimately emerged victorious, winning 5-7, 6-4, 6-4.

During match point, Felix Auger-Aliassime argued that the ball had hit the frame of Jack Draper's racket and then the floor, insisting that his opponent shanked it on the floor. However, the umpire disagreed and the Canadian eventually accepted his defeat despite replays supporting his claim.

Watch the video here:

Many well-known tennis figures, including Stefanos Tsitsipas, Nick Kyrgios, and Rennae Stubbs, shared their thoughts on the incident, with Brad Gilbert being the latest. The veteran American coach wrote on X (formerly Twitter):

"The fact that referee comes to court without looking at tape of the play is beyond baffling, so will just confirm umpire's decision is egregious. This is perfect example of 10 seconds umpires have tv monitor makes obvious overrule."

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Felix Auger-Aliassime on Cincinnati Open 3R controversy: "It's going to look ridiculous....crazy"

Felix Auger-Aliassime pictured at the 2024 Cincinnati Open (Source: Imagn)

Felix Auger-Aliassime engaged in a heated exchange with umpire Greg Allensworth during his third-round match against Jack Draper at the 2024 Cincinnati Open.

The Canadian challenged the umpire regarding the match point controversy, claiming that his opponent had "shanked the ball on the floor" and questioning how the umpire could have missed it.

"Did you not see the ball bounce on the floor?" He shanked it on the floor. What do you mean?" Auger-Aliassime questioned.

When Allensworth refused to overturn his decision, a visibly frustrated Auger-Aliassime argued:

"You're going to get out not and it's going to be everywhere. I'm serious. It's going to look ridiculous. It's gonna be crazy. And I know it's not his place to bring that call, it's a match win for him but it's your place to make that call."

"It's not your place to make that call. Are you seriously not coming back on your call?" he added.

Draper will face 15th seed Holger Rune in the quarterfinals of the ATP Masters 1000 tournament on August 17. This match will mark their first-ever encounter on the court.