World No.71 Chris O’Connell has overcome a contentious call from the chair umpire at a crucial point of his first-round Australian Open clash with Cristian Garín to win a five-set epic.
Australia’s eighth ranked men’s player was a break down in the third set, after splitting the opening two, but had got himself into a position to break back in the fourth game.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Chair umpire’s brain fade costs Chris O’Connell crucial point.
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He was 15-30 up and on the verge of giving himself two break points when the chair umpire intervened in the middle of a point.
O’Connell lunged out and, seemingly, got his racquet under a good drop shot from Garín, who would have had his work cut for him to return it back again.
But the Chilean was saved by the umpire, who interjected with a “not up” call, deeming that the ball had bounced twice.
“Ohhh he got that, he got that!” Wally Masur said on commentary straight after the call.
Geoff Masters agreed: “My impression was that he got it”.
An incredulous O’Connell immediately remonstrated, arguing desperately that he did get his racquet under the ball.
Replays confirmed beyond the shadow of a doubt that he did get to the ball legally, and that it was a mistake from the umpire.
“Watch this,” Masur said as the replay was shown, “he gets this. One bounce… and he’s under — oh, he’s well under it! Easy.
“Isn’t that an amazing call? It was right under her nose.
“And look, Chris would be the fairest guy on tour — he’s not a hustler.”
A second replay was shown from a side angle, exposing even further the bizarre blunder from the official, whose vantage point was perfect to make the call.
“Look at that; he got that, well and truly. Well and truly,” Masur said.
“Can he call for a replay? Get the referee? That’s unlucky.”
But the umpire was having none of it though, confidentially announcing that the score was now 30-all, as if to dismiss O’Connell’s protests.
“I think at the end of the day, it’s just the chair’s call — and she’s made a mistake,” Masters said.
And although O’Connell went on to lose the set, 6-4, he didn’t let the infuriating moment sit with him for much longer, going on to win the fourth and fifth sets.
He becomes the first local through to the second round of the Australian Open after the gritty five-set comeback win over the 2022 Wimbledon quarter-finalist, Garín.
Fresh off soaring to a career-high ranking just outside the top 50 last season, O’Connell showed his class to recover from two sets to one down and prevail 3-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-1, 7-5, in a marathon encounter stretching almost four-and-a-half hours.
The one-time Pittwater boat cleaner finished with a wet sail, breaking the Chilean five times in the last two sets to book a date with American 16th seed Ben Shelton or Spanish former top-ten player, Roberto Bautista-Agut.
O’Connell’s epic win came after countrymen Dane Sweeny and Adam Walton both lost their main-draw debuts at the Open earlier on Sunday.
Sweeny won plenty of admirers by pushing No.22 seed Francisco Cerundolo to five tough sets in a memorable but ultimately losing grand slam debut.
Showing plenty of the never-say-die traits of his doppelganger Lleyton Hewitt, the world No.257 traded blows for the best part of three and half hours before bowing out 3-6 6-3 6-4 2-6-6-2.
Cerundolo dominated the winner’s count 57-20 but the 22-year-old Sweeny’s counter-punching qualities kept him in the contest throughout.
Wildcard Walton made an encouraging start before being overwhelmed by rising Italian star Matteo Arnaldi.
Playing just his second Tour-level match, the 24-year-old Walton served for the opening set at 6-5 but was unable to hold.
World No.41 Arnaldi took command in the tiebreak and then put his foot down to win 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 6-4.
The 22-year-old Arnaldi was a member of the victorious Italian Davis Cup team in 2023, beating Australia’s Alexei Popyrin in the opening match of the final.
He also reached the fourth round of last year’s US Open before losing to Carlos Alcaraz.
Walton cut his teeth on the US college circuit from 2017-22 with the University of Tennessee, winning the 2021 NCAA doubles title.
O’Connell, Walton and Sweeny are among the 15 Australian men in the singles draw at Melbourne Park this year, the largest local contingent since 1998.
Australia’s highest-ranked player, No.10 seed Alex de Minaur, has been handed a difficult first-round clash with 2016 Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic on Monday night on Rod Laver Arena.
The big-serving Canadian has endured a wretched two-year run with injury but still shapes as a dangerous floater.
– With AAP
