Anna Kalinskaya could not believe it after the umpire did not award her a point despite replays clearly showing her opponent, Beatriz Haddad Maia, hit the shot after it had bounced twice.
The US Open has automated line calling. That means players cannot challenge a ball when it is called out, and the technology is always trusted to get those calls correct.
However, players are awarded challenges if they want to contest a shot they think did or did not bounce twice. If a player challenges, VAR is used, and it is looked at by those working the system and the umpire on their screen.
There was hope that having VAR for such calls would remove any disputes. An example was at the Cincinnati Open when Felix Auger-Aliassime lost the match after the umpire did not call a double bounce by Jack Draper.
On that occasion, no VAR was available, leading to a farcical situation in which the call could not be checked. It seemed like having a VAR at the US Open would end those moments, but that has not proved to be the case.
Kalinskaya battled the former French Open semifinalist Beatriz Haddad Maia during the night session on Louis Armstrong Stadium. She made a positive start by breaking the Brazilian's serve to go 2-0 up.
A crucial moment in the match came in the third game, with the score locked at deuce. Haddad Maia rushed to retrieve a short ball from Kalinskaya. It was not immediately clear whether the ball had bounced twice.
The incident was checked on a replay by the VAR and the umpire. It also appeared on the big screen for the fans, Kalinskaya and Haddad Maia, to view. It seemed like making the right decision would be easy.
When the replay was shown on the big screen at Arthur Ashe Stadium, the fans gasped. They clearly thought the ball had bounced twice and that Kalinskaya should have received the point.
Yet, the umpire, Miriam Bley, having also spoken to those working the VAR system, elected not to overturn the original call. She seemed to look at the incident very quickly and did not give herself enough time to view it calmly.
After the umpire said she would not change the call, Haddad Maia immediately turned away and returned to the baseline. Kalinskaya, clearly unhappy, tried to get her attention, but the Brazilian did not respond.
The 15th seed tried to explain to the umpire how the ball was a double bounce, but she was not convinced. Kalinskaya was obviously affected by the incident and went on to lose the match 6-3, 6-1.
The umpire obviously made a mistake, but many fans have also been critical of Haddad Maia, arguing she could have shown sportsmanship by refusing the point. Her immediate run back to the baseline and ignoring Kalinskaya certainly did not look great.
Coco Gauff, who exited the US Open to Emma Navarro, has also been unhappy with umpiring decisions this season.
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