The Davis Cup produced another memorable moment recently that has the tennis world talking.
Nothing instills more pride in a tennis player than suiting up for their country at the Davis Cup.
When the stars of the ATP Tour battle it out in the ‘World Cup of Tennis’ shocking moments are never too far away.
Zizou Bergs collided with Cristian Garin during Belgium’s Davis Cup tie with Chile recently, knocking him down to the ground as he celebrated late on in the third set.
The Belgian star was celebrating after securing a break in the third set before running into Garin at the net.
Bergs and Belgium went on to win the tie, as Chile and Garin were left furious with the controversial incident.
The Chilean Tennis Federation disputed the result, requesting that the win be awarded to Garin instead.
Various players, pundits, and fans have given their thoughts on the situation, as two former American tennis players now weigh in.
Sam Querrey says Cristian Garin’s reaction to Davis Cup collision was the ‘most pathetic thing’ he’s ever seen
Speaking on the Nothing Major podcast, former Wimbledon semi-finalist Sam Querrey gave his thoughts on how Garin reacted to the incident.
“That is so weak from [Cristian] Garin,” he said.
“That is the most pathetic thing I have ever seen.
“That was like South American, European soccer flop, that was the weakest thing I’ve ever seen from Garin.”
After falling to the floor Garin stayed down receiving three time penalties while refusing to play on, handing Bergs the win.
Querrey’s co-host Steve Johnson also gave his thoughts, suggesting that the picture Garin later posted to social media didn’t help his cause.
“They put the photo on Instagram after, it didn’t do him justice,” he said.
“Someone should have punched him to make it look better.
“It was just a little red, I think he should have got up and played, personally.
“Garin should be tough enough to go play.”
Steve Johnson comments on Arthur Fils’ incident with Thiago Seyboth Wild at the Davis Cup
Bergs and Garin weren’t the only players to cause controversy at the Davis Cup recently, as there was plenty of drama to be had in France’s tie with Brazil.
Arthur Fils and Thiago Seyboth Wild shared a frosty handshake at the net after an incident during their match last week.
During the second set, the umpire ruled that a long shot by Fils had hit Seyboth Wild’s racket, handing the Frenchman break point.
Fils went on to win the match, with Johnson now commenting on the incident.
“I feel like [we should] just let these guys fight it out, let them walk to the locker room after the match and solve the problems,” he said.
“Enough of the finger pointing, you’ve got two teams there, get in the locker room, solve your problems, be done with it.”
Replays did seem to suggest that the ball didn’t hit Seyboth Wild’s racket, as Johnson now questions why officials don’t have access to that footage.
“You have the cameras, literally look at it and get it right, regardless of the situation, it will take three seconds,” he said.
“There’s 10,000 cameras there, how do we not get that right.”
France advanced against Brazil 4-0, to book their place in the second round of qualifiers.
When are the next round of Davis Cup matches?
After two high-profile incidents in the opening round of matches, fans are eagerly anticipating the return of the Davis Cup.
The action will get back underway on September 12-14, as 14 nations compete for their spots in the quarter-finals alongside host nation and defending champions Italy.
- Netherlands [1] v Argentina [14]
- Australia [2] v Belgium [13]
- Hungary v Austria
- Japan v Germany [4]
- United States v Czech Republic [10]
- Spain [9] v Denmark
- Croatia [7] v France [8]
Italy won their second consecutive Davis Cup in 2024, as they beat the Netherlands in the final, 2-0.
They’ll be looking to win their third title in succession later this year, as the Davis Cup Finals kick off in Bologna, Italy, on November 18.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
