Lucia Bronzetti was left visibly upset by what transpired in the final moments of her match against Taylor Townsend at the 2024 Miami Open.
The match was a very heated battle between the players that finally went into the final set. The score in the final set was 5-4 for Townsend, who was up 30-0 when the controversial moment happened.
It was a very important rally, and after rushing to the net, Townsend was lobed by Bronzetti. As she was rushing to the baseline, the American let the ball fly out because she correctly assumed that it was going wide.
What she didn't pay attention to was that the ball actually hit her racquet before dropping down, which she likely noticed, as she had to feel that a ball touched her racket.
The umpire didn't notice it and let it go, with Bronzetti protesting that the point should belong to her. She was right; by rule, the point belongs to her because it was Townsend who made the play that should have given her opponent the point.
The American, though, didn't really feel the urge to correct the umpire because it ensured her three match points. She was up 40-0 after that and was able to finish off the match after that game.
Broneztti, who lost to Coco Gauff in Indian Wells, wasn't about to let it go, though, as she posted video proof of the situation on her social media, adding a rather spicy comment.
She called out Townsend for a lack of sportsmanship while calling out the umpire for missing the call as well.
"Don't know which is worse... the chair umpire or the player who denied it."
It's difficult to tell how easily spottable the situation was for the umpire, but then again, this is their job. Townsend probably noticed that her racquet was also touched but did not want to notify the umpire.