Denis Shapovalov reacted to a controversial incident at the end of a Cincinnati Open match that included a familiar face.
In the last 16 of the Masters 1000 event, Britain’s Jack Draper took on Olympic bronze medallist Felix Auger-Aliassime for a spot in the quarter-finals.
The 22-year-old came from a set down to win 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, but the last point of Draper’s Cincinnati Open match sparked plenty of controversy.
The dramatic scenes at the end of the contest included a chair umpire Shapovalov knows well following his exit from the Citi Open.
What did Denis Shapovalov say about Jack Draper vs Felix Auger Aliassime at the Cincinnati Open?
While Draper was serving on match point, he delivered a serve out wide and came to the net behind it and attempted to finish the point and ultimately the match with a volley.
But he did not connect cleanly and Auger-Aliassime thought the ball hit the ground after it came off the frame of Draper’s racket.
Chair umpire Greg Allensworth thought otherwise and awarded Draper the point, meaning he won the match despite Auger-Aliassime pleading his case.
Allensworth is the same official who disqualified Shapovalov from his Citi Open quarter-final against Ben Shelton after throwing his racket and shouting at a fan.
The 25-year-old had a simple yet profound response to the Cincinnati Open incident, as he posted a clown and circus emoji, clearly indicating what he thought of Allensworth.
Other players commented on the Cincinnati Open controversy as Stefanos Tsitsipas tweeted a video of Draper’s contentious shot and posted: “Oh my! I don’t think I have ever seen a shot like this,” the Greek player said.
Is Denis Shapovalov playing at the Cincinnati Open?
Shapovalov is slowly working his way back to his best form after returning to action at the start of the year following six months out due to a knee injury.
He returned to hard court action at the Atlanta Open in July, but lost in the first round to David Goffin, before Shapovalov was defaulted against Shelton in Washington.
Shapovalov is not playing the ongoing Cincinnati Open, and his last match came at his home tournament in Montreal, Canada.
He made his name at the tournament when he burst on the scene in 2017 by defeating the World number at the time, Rafael Nadal. But seven years later, he lost in the first round to America’s Brandon Nakashima in straight sets.
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