WATCH: Umpire makes massive scoring error at Shanghai Masters, denying Stan Wawrinka crucial point vs Flavio Cobolli
Flavio Cobolli and Stan Wawrinka delivered a captivating contest at the 2024 Shanghai Masters that stretched three sets. However, the match's outcome was decided majorly by a massive error from the chair umpire.
Stan Wawrinka and 28th seed Flavio Cobolli faced each other in the second round of the 2024 Shanghai Masters on October 7. The first two sets of the contest went into tiebreakers as both players displayed impeccable serving, with Wawrinka taking the first and Cobolli winning the second set.
The young Italian began the third set with a hold of serve and broke Stan Wawrinka in the following game for the only break that decided the match's fate. It was the game that sparked controversy due to chair umpire Carlos Bernardes' critical error in scoring.
The three-time Grand Slam champion won the first point of the game after Cobolli's return of serve landed wide. While Bernardes called the score right, 15:0, the Brazilian umpire missed updating it on the scoreboard. The Italian won the next point, and Bernardes called the score 0:30 instead of 15:15, mistakenly awarding the first point to Cobolli.
The miscue went unnoticed by Bernardes, Wawrinka, Cobolli, and the crowd at the stadium. Stan Wawrinka ended up getting broken at 40:15, and this turned out to be the only break of the entire match. Cobolli emerged victorious, 6-7(6), 7-6(4), 6-3, and booked his spot in the third round of the Shanghai Masters in his debut at the tournament.
You can watch the entire incident below:
Flavio Cobolli sets up meeting with Novak Djokovic in Shanghai Masters 3R after beating Stan Wawrinka
Flavio Cobolli will face Novak Djokovic for the first time in his career at the 2024 Shanghai Masters. The two will compete in the third-round contest at the Masters 1000 tournament on October 8. Djokovic came to Shanghai to play in his first tournament since the Davis Cup in mid-September.
Seeded fourth, the Serb received a first-round bye and swept aside a stern challenge from Alex Michelsen in the second round 7-6(3), 7-6(9). Djokovic is competing at the Shanghai Masters for the first time since 2019 and is a four-time champion at the tournament.
Meanwhile, Flavio Cobolli reached the quarterfinals of the 2024 China Open before making his debut in Shanghai. The Italian is having a breakthrough season in 2024, rising from World No. 101 at the start of the year to his current ranking of World No. 30.