Yibing Wu's first-ever appearance at the Indian Wells BNP Paribas Open will be remembered for many reasons but also those wrong.
Despite a hard-fought first-round victory against Jaume Munar, the match ended on a controversial call that left the crowd and fans of the ATP Tour stunned. In a tense third-set tiebreak, with the score at 6-3 in Wu's favor, Munar hit a passing shot that Wu dived for at the net.
In doing so, Wu's racket fell out of his hand and hit the net before the point was over. According to the rules, that means Munar should have won the point and kept the match alive, but the umpire awarded the point to Wu, handing him the match.
The decision left Munar fuming, and he could be seen arguing and gesticulating angrily at the umpire after the match. Fans and commentators took to social media to express their frustration at the call, with many arguing that the umpire had made the wrong decision.
Despite the controversy, Wu, who recently became the first Chinese man to win an ATP title, was gracious in victory, acknowledging the difficult situation and the unpredictable nature of tennis.
He will now move on to face another tough Spanish opponent in the second round, as Alejandro Davidovich Fokina will stand in his way, hoping to put the controversy behind him and focus on his game.
“It is tricky because on match point, no one wants to face this situation. Tennis is like this - you never know what’s going to happen, and that’s why we all love this sport”
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