"Do better ATP"- Frances Tiafoe condemns recurring errors as friend Taylor Fritz's Cincinnati Open run ends in controversy just like his Montreal exit
A week after a controversial call resulted in Frances Tiafoe’s eventual exit at the 2024 Canadian Open, his friend Taylor Fritz had a similar experience in his Cincinnati Open loss. Tiafoe didn't take kindly to the recurring line call errors and called out the ATP over how both incidents unfolded.
Fritz was knocked out of the Cincinnati Open by his compatriot Brandon Nakashima after a neck-and-neck battle (6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (4)) on Tuesday, August 13. During the second set, Fritz had a questionable line call go against him.
At 3-2 (30-30), Nakashima hit a forehand long, but Hawkeye failed to detect it, and the rally continued. The play was halted moments later as the system tried to correct the error. The video replay confirmed that the ball had landed long, and while the point should have ideally gone Fritz's way, the chair umpire insisted on a replay due to the delay in making the call.
The decision didn't sit well with several players, including Frances Tiafoe. It should be noted that Tiafoe had dealt with a similar controversy during crucial moments of his first-round match at the Canadian Open in Montreal last week.
"Bro this gotta get figured out. This happened to me last week. Do better @atptour. Y’all please do better," he wrote on Instagram following Taylor Fritz’s controversy.
"There was ELECTRONIC proof" – What Frances Tiafoe's girlfriend Ayan Broomfield said about his controversial Canadian Open 2024 exit
While the contentious call in Taylor Fritz’s Cincinnati Open match didn’t have a direct impact on his scoreline, Tiafoe suffered a huge blow when he replayed his point.
At 4-5 (30-30) in the opening set, his opponent Alejandro Tabilo pushed a shot long. This, however, derived no response from the Hawkeye. After the error was brought to light during the video replay, chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani called for the point to be replayed instead of awarding Frances Tiafoe a game point.
The American lost the next two points and thus the set. He was unable to regroup in the second set and suffered a 6-4, 6-2 loss. Tiafoe's girlfriend, Ayan Broomfield, was enraged by the controversial call in the decisive moments of the match. She shared her frustrations on X.
"Someone please explain to me how they didn’t give Frances this point when it was clearly stated that his opponent hit the ball out … genuinely confused. 30-30, serving down 4-5. no player challenges, only electronic line calling. There was ELECTRONIC proof that he won the point," Broomfield wrote.
Frances Tiafoe would hope to move past his Canadian Open drubbing as he eyes a deep run at the Cincinnati Open. The American, who is chasing a maiden Masters 1000 title, is through to the second round with a 6-3, 7-6 (8) victory over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. He faces Lorenzo Musetti on Wednesday.