Flavio Cobolli’s historic victory over Stan Wawrinka at the Rolex Shanghai Masters was overshadowed by a controversial scoring error that sparked outrage on social media.
In the pivotal third set, with Cobolli leading 1-0, chair umpire Carlos Bernades mistakenly recorded the score as 0-30 instead of 15-15. The error went unnoticed by both players and the crowd, and play continued as normal.
Cobolli ultimately won the game, securing the only break of the match and setting up a third-round clash with Novak Djokovic. However, the scoring error cast a shadow over his triumph.
Social media erupted with criticism of Bernades, who is set to retire at the end of the 2024 season. Former Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios, who has had his own run-ins with Bernades, tweeted that the umpire “should of [sic] been fired years ago.”
Despite the controversy, Cobolli and Wawrinka shared a warm exchange at the net and have yet to comment on the scoring mishap.
“He is a legend of our sport,” Cobolli said of Wawrinka. “It was a pleasure to play with Stan on this court.”
The incident has raised questions about the accuracy of scoring in tennis and the role of technology in preventing such errors. Some commentators have called for the introduction of electronic line calling or a review system similar to that used in cricket.
However, others argue that the human element is an integral part of tennis and that the occasional error is simply part of the game.
