France and Brazil’s first-round qualifying match of Davis Cup turned into a heated battle on Saturday. In the first singles match-up, at Orleans, Ugo Humbert gave France a 1-0 lead as he defeated Joao Fonsesca 7-5, 6-3. Extending the advantage further, Arthur Fils then won his encounter as well against Brazilian Thiago Seyboth Wild with a score line of 6-1, 6-4. But by the time their face-off ended, it had turned into a controversy. Thanks to some questionable calls made by the chair umpire.
During the initial stages of the match between Wild and Fils, the latter hit a shot that struck the net. But Fils immediately called out Wild, accusing him of saying “challenge”. To which, the umpire then refused to award Wild any point. The Brazilian was left dejected over this decision but couldn’t do much and continued playing.
Later in the second set, after Fils took the first one 6-1, the score was tied at 4-4. Fils had a break point advantage over Wild. The latter made a serve leading to an intense brief rally between the two. They both approached the net where Fils hit a backhand that eventually went outside the court. Wild was about to hit it but he let the ball go out, in order to take the point. However, the chair umpire Timo Janzen called it “touch”, meaning the point was awarded to the 19-year-old Frenchman. Per the chair umpire, it seemed Wild’s racket allegedly touched the ball. But the Brazilian was confident that it didn’t.
Crazy call in the Arthur Fils vs Seyboth Wild match
Fils hits a ball out while Thiago is at the net
Umpire says Thiago’s racquet touched the ball
Thiago pleads with Fils to tell the umpire he didn’t touch it
Brutal for the Brazilian team
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) February 1, 2025
Ultimately, Wild lost the match 1-6, 4-6 against Fils. After what had transpired between the two, owing to the umpire’s debatable calls, he was in no mood to show politeness towards Fils. Approaching the net for a customary handshake, Wild was seen sharing harsh words as the Frenchman tried to calm him down. The Brazilian called him out for an unsportsmanlike behavior. Later, the two had to be separated by the umpire and their respective captains.
After the match, Fils had some words to share regarding their tense handshake moment. What did Wild say to him at the net? “When we shook hands he told me something, except that I’m not his child so there’s nothing like that.” as reported by Advantage Tennis on X, dated February 1. On the other hand, Wild was in no mood to forgive him.
Thiago Seyboth Wild criticizes Arthur Fils and chair umpire after Davis Cup loss
The 24-year-old World No.76 continued to express his frustration during the press conference. When asked about his reaction on the result, Thiago Seyboth Wild didn’t mince his words. He said, “I think mistakes are quite usual in tennis, and in life we all make mistakes, that’s something that happens” while adding that the chair umpire’s call in the final set “was a pretty bad one, and in my opinion, it definitely changed the course of the match.” reported The First Serve on Sunday.
Talking about his heated interaction with Arthur Fils, he said that it was in the “heat of the moment” and that “a couple of words” were exchanged between them during the handshake. But he didn’t miss out on his sharing his frustration with the Frenchman. “To be quite honest, I don’t think (Fils) should’ve (made the call)”
Calling out the umpire, alongside the Frenchman, he added, “I probably wouldn’t, any player probably wouldn’t make that call at 4-4. But regardless, it was a bad call… it’s not up to him to make any calls, it’s up to the umpire.”
Brazil is now trailing 0-2 against France. On Sunday, a third and final match will take place between the two countries. France will need just one win to advance in the Davis Cup’s next round. The doubles encounter will see Benjamin Bonzi and Pierre-Hugues Herbert taking on Brazil’s Rafael Matos and Marcelo Melo.
The post Davis Cup: Controversy Erupts as French and Brazilian ATP Stars Engage in War of Words appeared first on EssentiallySports.
