WATCH | Juan Cabal and Robert Farah denied clear point against Sam Groth and Lleyton Hewitt under controversial circumstances
Despite the ultra-advanced technology aiding modern tennis, a point in Australian Open proved how much the game still relies on umpireās naked eye. Colombian duo Cabal/Farah were denied a clear point after umpire failed to pick Sam Grothās racquet hitting the ball before it dropped out.
The Colombian pair of Juan Cabal and Robert Farah have been invincible in the Australian Open so far as they havenāt lost a single set in the tournament. They have won all the previous three matches in straight sets leaving no place of doubt whatsoever. Their Australian opponents, on the other hand, had reached the quarterfinals needing luck to aĀ certain extent, as they narrowly overcame French-Romanian duo J. Roger/Tecau while the Spanish duo of A Vinolas/ P Andujar retired with the game levelled at 3-3.
And it seems that lady luck was favouring them in this match as well, as they escaped by the skin of their teeth following the umpireās failure to pick up Grothās failed shot. It was during the first set with the Columbian pair leading 3-1 when a shot by them, which was falling well over the baseline, was touched untimely by Groth just before it dropped outside the baseline.
The Colombian pair challenged for it quite expectantly, and the umpire chose to consult the hawk-eye technology for it. However, hawk-eye does not predict if the ball had hit the racquet before dropping on the court and the umpire denied Cabal/Farah a clear point. Though they kept complaining with the commentators even stating the Columbian to have āa very good argumentā for it, the decision went to the Australians. The cameras picked up the error quite clearly but since the umpire failed to get it, the call couldnāt be overturned.Ā
