Joao Fonseca has spoken out on a bizarre line call incident that came at a crucial moment in his first-round Eastbourne Open match. The Brazilian teenager was facing a set point against Zizou Bergs when one of Bergs’ shots was called out, and then a video replay showed it was in. The umpire stepped in and called for a further review.
Fonseca won the point but went on to lose the set, then stormed back to win 6-7(8) 6-0 6-3. It’s the 18-year-old’s first-ever tour win on the grass, and he will now face reigning champion and No. 1 seed Taylor Fritz.
At 7-6 in the first set tiebreak, Bergs celebrated when he thought he won a point, but the automatic hawkeye system called it out. A video replay, cast onto the screens on centre court, then claimed the ball was in.
“He’s just missed again. Oh no, it’s actually called in! We’re going to get this clarified, the call was out, we’re just going to check it now. There is an official sitting there with the technology team to work this out. So we’re just trying to find out what happened here, bit of drama,” commentator Peter Marcato said.
Chair umpire Gregory Allensworth told the players and the crowd that there would be a further review. After a few moments, he announced: “Ladies and gentlemen, after review, the shot on the left far side line was out. 7-7.”
Had the ball been called in, Fonseca would have lost the set. But Bergs still took it 10-8 before the world No. 57 stormed back to win. Afterwards, Fonseca admitted he wouldn’t have wanted to lose on such a costly error.
“I saw the ball out. That’s what my view was. And I didn’t see that the call was saying in,” the teenager said.
“That’s why I asked the referee, ‘What happened?’ And he said, ‘Oh, there was a video review, and the ball was in. It was in’. And then I said, ‘No way, I’m gonna lose this set like this’.
“And then, yeah, like I said, it came a little of luck on my side, then after it came a little bit of a luck on his side, so the game is like this and you need to find a way to win.”
It was a milestone day for Fonseca, who had never won a professional tour-level match on grass before. But it was no easy feat.
He explained: “When you play on grass, things happen too fast. So, yeah, it was a tough first set where both of the sides were nervous. In the tiebreak it could go to both sides and there was a bit of luck on my side, there was a bit of luck on his side, and he got the first set.
“I needed to stay mentally focused and yeah, that’s what I tried to do in the beginning of the second set. I played a good game, and when I broke him, I started feeling more confident, I started relaxing a little bit, playing a little bit more my game.
“It was a very mental game, and I’m very happy the way that I fought, the way that I believed, and to get in my first victory on grass.”
Fonseca will now face Fritz, the three-time Eastbourne champion and world No. 5.
“I’m loving the life on tour, getting to know new people, new tournaments every week and experience to learn. Yeah, my next match is going to be against a top five player, so it’s another new experience,” he smiled.
Content Source: www.express.co.uk