MELBOURNE: A weird umpiring blunder has marred a third-round Australian Open males’s doubles match between Marcel Granollers/Horacio Zeballos and Yannick Hanfmann/Dominik Koepfer.

At set level within the second set tie-breaker, Hanfmann’s return to a Granollers serve flicked the let twine. Zeballos, positioned on the web, performed a half-volley off the let twine, inflicting the ball to spin up and over the online.

When the ball cleared the online, it spun again over, and Granollers, in a weird transfer, caught it. Concurrently, Koepfer’s racquet slipped from his grip as he lunged ahead in an try and play the ball on the alternative aspect of the online, exercising his proper to take action.

Because the umpire awarded the purpose to Granollers/Zeballos, leveling the match 6-7 (5), 7-6 (3), confusion swept by way of the court docket.

Former Australia tennis participant John Fitzgerald expressed his bewilderment in the course of the commentary, questioning the umpire’s determination. “Bemused – I do not know what occurred there. This isn’t proper, this cannot be proper. It is gone over, and Granollers grabs it – that is not set, that is not a degree, that is a giant mistake by the umpire right here, ” Fitzgerald stated in commentary as quoted by Vast World of Sports activities.

Fellow commentator Geoff Masters stated the umpire wanted to have the ability to see a replay.

“That must be replayed someplace for the chair to see, as a result of that is mistaken.”

Fitzgerald added: “He is interfered with Koepfer having an opportunity to place that ball away – legally, he can attain over. Koepfer is inside his rights to go after that, and Granollers stopped him, “

Regardless of the controversial determination, the match continued, and happily for the umpire, Koepfer and Hanfmann clinched the third set, securing their spot within the quarter-finals.