"Learned a new rule" - Tracy Austin revisits controversial call in Frances Tiafoe-Milos Raonic Canadian Open match; praises 'brilliant' umpire
Tracy Austin recently revisited the controversial call that was made during the first-round clash between Frances Tiafoe and Milos Raonic at the 2023 Canadian Open. Austin also commended the chair umpire for his astute judgment and for making the right call during the match.
Raonic defeated Tiafoe 6-7(12), 7-6(4), 6-3 to secure his place in the second round where he will face Taro Daniel. During the match, Tiafoe found himself with a set-point advantage, leading 13/12 in the tiebreak.
Determined to seize the opportunity, the American swiftly dashed towards the net from the baseline to retrieve a shot that got deflected off the net cord. Tiafoe executed a perfectly angled low cross-court winner, but his momentum carried him into the net before the ball could bounce twice.
Initially, the chair umpire, Fergus Murphy, made a call against Tiafoe for touching the net. However, he corrected his decision upon realizing that the American had actually touched the net outside of the singles stick. Consequently, the point was rightfully awarded to Frances Tiafoe.
Two-time Grand Slam champion Tracy Austin recently took to social media and stated that many people learned a new rule after the Tiafoe-Raonic match. She also commended the exceptional umpiring skills displayed by Murphy, who confidently and decisively reversed the initial call.
"No! I think most of us learned a new rule. Brilliant umpiring. Changed initial call with calm/authority. Brought supervisor out to confirm situation. #NBO23," Austin tweeted.
No! I think most of us learned a new rule. Brilliant umpiring. Changed initial call with calm/authority. Brought supervisor out to confirm situation. #NBO23 twitter.com/tennistv/statu…
Milos Raonic will take on Taro Daniel in the second round of the Canadian Open 2023
Milos Raonic will face qualifier Taro Daniel in the second round of the 2023 Canadian Open on Wednesday, August 9.
Making his first appearance since 2019, Raonic faced off against the World No. 10, Frances Tiafoe in the opening round. The match kicked off with Tiafoe swiftly securing a break of serve, propelling him to a 2-0 lead in the first set. However, Raonic made a superb comeback.
In the subsequent tie-break, both players had several opportunities to win the set, but it was Tiafoe who ultimately emerged victorious on his fifth set point. The second set was also determined by a tie-break, which Milos Raonic won to even the score.
In the early stages of the third set, the Canadian managed to break his opponent's serve, giving him a comfortable 3-0 lead. He maintained his advantage throughout the match, ultimately securing a comeback victory.
Meanwhile, Taro Daniel secured his spot in the main draw by defeating Dane Sweeny and Corentin Moutet. He then faced World No. 30 Adrian Mannarino in his opener. Despite falling behind early on, the Japanese made a remarkable comeback and even saved a set point, ultimately winning the first set in a tie-break.
Daniel then held a 4-2 lead in the second set, but Mannarino won the following couple of games to equalize the score. Undeterred, the qualifier proceeded to secure the subsequent two games, ultimately emerging victorious with a 7-6 (5), 6-4 scoreline.
Milos Raonic currently holds a 2-0 advantage over Taro Daniel in their head-to-head matches. Their most recent encounter took place at the 2018 Delray Beach Open, where Raonic emerged victorious in straight sets.