The third national racket had to face a hostile audience during their quarter-final match. A decision by the judge provoked anger from all the stands.
Christian Garin (112°) returns to an ATP semi-final after two years. He did it in Estoril, in a controversial match, where the national team had to resist a hostile atmosphere from the Portuguese, who from the second set attacked Gago.
It all started with a controversial point when they had been playing for an hour and 14 minutes. Nuno Borges (62nd) had the opportunity to break to move to 4-2, when a shout coming from the stands made him stop the paddle. The Portuguese heard “out” and despite his response, he stopped on the pitch. Garin followed the action with a right cross which turned out to be long.
This is where the Chilean got angry, clearly implying that his rival had dislocated him by stopping in the middle of the point. The referee agreed with him and Gago, declaring the match 40-40. Action that angered Borges and the Estoril public. Thunderous blunders from the stands and angry complaints from the European player invaded the stage.
Despite the supervisor’s appeal, the Portuguese could not reverse the decision, leading the stands to not forgive the Chilean. “He failed and that was the official decision. Look, there are a lot of people who make a lot of noise in the middle of the match, but This is the first time you say it’s important, just when it’s a break point and I win the point. “, was one of the interactions heard when the ATP manager entered the field.
During the rest of the match, the atmosphere was very hostile towards Garin, who was even botched during the on-pitch interview after the victory. Gago told the audience, “I didn’t do anything,” as demands from the stands continued to grow.
“I left the field without understanding the referee’s criteria. He knows he made a mistake. It didn’t make any sense. It must not stop because someone in the crowd shouts,” Borges said at the press conference. There he also spoke about the attitude of the Chilean at that time: “He felt that something was coming from the public, but we continued and he failed. Garin told me he failed because I stopped. It’s not his fault, but he doesn’t look good in this situation either. “he added.
Eventually, Gago also reflected on what happened, admitting he wasn’t clear on the rule. “(Borges) He stopped the subject. I stopped too. I don’t know if that’s what I mean or if we should repeat it. I have to check it. I will check later . Afterwards, the atmosphere was crazy and I’m so proud of myself. It was a bit boring during the match, I understand people’s frustration, he is a great opponent, he fought for every point and he will continue to play well this season”, commented the new semi-finalist ‘Estoril.
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Source: Latercera
I’m Rose Brown , a journalist and writer with over 10 years of experience in the news industry. I specialize in covering tennis-related news for Athletistic, a leading sports media website. My writing is highly regarded for its quick turnaround and accuracy, as well as my ability to tell compelling stories about the sport.
