By Chris Oddo | Saturday, March 8, 2014
Mohamed El Jennati found himself in the center of controversy after not allowing Denis Istomin a crucial challenge on Thursday against Radek Stepanek on Thursday.
Photo Source: Tennis TV
Denis Istomin was bounced out of the BNP Paribas Open by Radek Stepanek in first-round action on Thursday, but not after giving umpire Mohamed El Jennati his two cents after his challenge was not allowed.
Since then, the video has gone viral on YouTube with several coaches and players chiming in about the injustice that Istomin suffered.
“No I didn't see it,” says El Jennati, “because you didn't do like this... You didn't raise your hand.”
Even the supervisor, when summoned to the court, claimed that Istomin didn't challenge.
***Question: Why not go to the video tape? Five minutes were wasted and it would have taken only five seconds to clearly see that Istomin had challenged when looking at the video. Shouldn't the supervisor be allowed to use media to enforce his calls?***
Clearly, Istomin did raise his hand, and clearly the ball was out. And, for good measure, so was Stepanek's next shot. But to no avail. Strangely, Istomin would win the set, but eventually he couldn't survive the traumatic experience and he went on to fall to Stepanek, 6-1, 3-6, 6-1.
In the end, Varvara Lepchenko may have said it best...