Sportsmanship Is Put To A Test In Montreal

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 9th August 2013

ATP Tennis Tournament in Washington, DC.

Sportsmanship Is Put To A Test In Montreal

epa03813344 Argentina's Juan Martin Del Potro reacts after defeating USA's John Isner during their men's final singles match at the Citi Open ATP tennis tournament in Washington, DC, USA, 04 August 2013. Del Potro won the final 3-6, 6-1, 6-2. EPA/PETE MAROVICH |

One of the most abiding memories of this tennis year was the classic Wimbledon semi-final between Novak Djokovic and Juan Martin Del Potro that showed a hard fought and intense contest can still be played in exemplary sportsmanship. But with his sights possibly set on an ATP World Tour Masters 1,000 series title, Del Potro maintained the opposite was the case as he lost out to Canada’s Milos Raonic in Montreal’s Rogers Cup.

Del Potro accused Raonic of ignoring the rules and not being honest with either his opponent or umpire Mohamed Lahyani after not calling a penalty on himself when he clearly touched the net in a critical part of the second set.

Raonic, currently ranked 13th and intent on entering the world’s top ten before the year is out, went on to win the encounter 7-5, 6-4 and move forward to meet Andy Murray’s conqueror Ernests Gulbis. But Del Potro said: “I think that he should recognize what he did and admit that he was wrong.

“The whole stadium saw it, the umpire saw it, but it’s his decision and there’s nothing that I can do about it. I’m leaving here very bitter.”

The moment of controversy came late in the second set and Del Potro, his appetite for competition clearly soured, failed to win another point. After his earlier win against Croatia’s Ivan Dodig, he admitted to feeling considerable back pain.

Nevertheless Raonic was unrepentant after actually acknowledging he touched the net and therefore admitting guilt for the crime Del Potro accused him of committing. Yet when asked whether he should have called a penalty on himself, the world no. said : “It’s a big point. If you can put somebody in that situation, being down a break point, same thing happens do you call it on yourself?”

Raonic was then told by a reporter that it was Del Potro’s point and he responded, “Hypothetically yes, technically no.”

Del Potro also accused Lahyani and the official, revered as one of the leading chair umpires currently working the ATP circuit, admitted he made a mistake but refused to overturn his call because as he saw it initially, the ball was dead before the touch.

“You make the mistake, I lose the point,” a despondent Del Potro told Lahyani. The conversation continued on the next changeover.

“It’s not fair what just happened,” Del Potro complained. Lahyani didn’t necessarily disagree.

Laynani countered while pointing to the net: “I followed the ball and then I see this. I missed it. I have to see two things. I have to follow where the ball bounced. I have to see both things. It’s very tough. It’s a human mistake. At least I’m honest.”

Del Potro’s patience was earlier put to the test when Raonic required an 11 minutes long injury time out (eight minutes more than the legal limit), the Canadian citing a numbness on his right arm.