Cincinnati Masters: Draper beats Auger-Aliassime after huge match point controversy

Jack Draper moved into the last eight of the Cincinnati Masters by edging out Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 at the Lindner Family Tennis Center.

After a lengthy battle, most of the post-match conversation centred around the hugely controversial match point, which Draper was deemed to have won.

Auger-Aliassime was incensed, however, adamant that the ball had hit Draper’s racquet and bounced on the Briton’s side of the court before coming back over the net to the Canadian, saying that his opponent had “shanked it on the floor.”

For his part, Draper said he did not see what had happened, but said to the supervisor that if replays showed Auger-Aliassime was correct, then the point should be replayed.

“I was too busy looking at him,” said Draper during his on-court interview following the match.

“I didn’t see what happened. I looked at the umpire straight away to see if he called a double bounce or not.

“As a player, I’m trying to focus on what I’m doing. I can’t make that call if I’m not 100%.

“I said, when the supervisor came on, that if it was a double bounce and that he saw it clearly then I would have 100% replayed the point.”

Draper, ranked No 27, will face Dane Holger Rune, the No 15 seed, next.

Jack Draper edged out Spanish qualifier Jaume Munar (7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (5)) and Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, the No 9 seed (3-6, 6-4, 7-5) ahead of his victory.

In the previous rounds of the Cincy Open, Auger-Aliassime, ranked No 19, won against American qualifier Aleksandar Kovacevic (6-3, 6-1) and Norwegian Casper Ruud, the No 7 seed (6-3, 6-1).

Cincinnati Masters 1000, other last -16 results (Lindner Family Tennis Center, hard, USD 6.795.555, most recent results first):

• Frances Tiafoe vs. Jiri Lehecka
• Holger Rune beat Gael Monfils: 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
• Hubert Hurkacz (5) beat Flavio Cobolli: 6-3, 3-6, 6-1
• Ben Shelton (12) beat Fabian Marozsan: 6-4, 6-3
• Jannik Sinner vs. Jordan Thompson
• Andrey Rublev (6) beat Brandon Nakashima (WC): 7-6 (5), 6-1
• Alexander Zverev (3) beat Pablo Carreno Busta: 7-5, 7-6 (6)