Alexander Zverev was on the brink of capturing his maiden grand slam crown, but a controversial call in the deciding set cost the German star dearly.
As Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz battled it out, a questionable call from the chair umpire in the fifth set all but ended the hopes of the world number four.
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Zverev appeared to have secured the break back when Alcaraz’s second serve was initially called out for a double fault which would have tied the set up at 2-2.
The chair umpire however saw it differently and overruled the call which left Zverev fuming and remonstrating with the umpire.
Hawk-Eye data painfully showed the number four seed was correct as the ball had landed out by 2mm.
Alcaraz cashed in on the momentum of the call as he went on to hold serve before securing his first French Open crown with a 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 victory after four hours and 19 minutes.
But it was the controversial moment in the fourth game of the fifth set that left a sour taste in Zverev’s mouth.
“I mean, I feel like I did everything I could today. The fifth set, f***, there was some unlucky moments,” Zverev said.
Zverev continued: “I heard that at 2-1 the second serve was out. From the Hawk-Eye data, I saw that. I break back there, I have break chances, and then in the next service game, a fifth set can go the other way.
“But it is what it is. Look, he played fantastic. He played better than me the fourth and fifth set. It’s how it is. I felt like this Grand Slam final I did everything I could. At the US Open I kind of gave it away myself. It’s a bit different.”
The incident left tennis fans watching on fuming and calling out the tournament for not having hawk-eye implemented for calls.
Tennis great Andy Roddick wrote: “Players normally right. Shotspot showed Zverev saw mark correct way … Cant replace real life playing reps when reading marks correctly. Good riddance to these umpires trying. Bring in the machines full time.”
One user wrote: “Roland Garros needs to start using shot spot. That’s inexcusable.”
A second added: “Brutal. Changed the match. No better argument for shot spot than this. Gotta get the calls right if you can.”
A third wrote: “This moment changed the entire game. Unbelievable.”
A fourth stated: “Zverev was robbed. RG should do better.”
Hawk-Eye technology will be implemented at the French Open from 2025 onwards, meaning similar calls to the one that cruelled Zverev will no longer be up to the discretion of the officials.
Zverev was asked the technology and said the call in the fifth set proved to be a deciding moment in the gruelling contest.
“I mean, look, there’s a difference whether you’re down 3-1 in the fifth set or you’re back to 2-All. That’s a deciding difference,” he said.
“Yeah, it’s frustrating in the end, but it is what it is. Umpires make mistakes. They’re also human, and that’s okay. But of course in a situation like that, you wish there wouldn’t be mistakes.”
Alcaraz ultimately claimed the French Open crown and in doing so became become the youngest man to win grand slam titles on all three surfaces.