Jack Draper bruised by ‘cheat’ accusations after Auger-Aliassime match point controversy

British No 1 Jack Draper says he thought about the controversial ending to his Cincinnati win against Felix Auger-Aliassime for “four days non-stop.”

Draper added he was “really upset” at his integrity being questioned in the aftermath of the incident. On match point last weekend, Auger-Aliassime hit a return to the Briton’s feet. Draper scooped the ball over the net, and umpire Greg Allensworth ruled it a fair shot. Auger-Aliassime thought, and video replays later showed, that Draper had hit the ball into the floor.

“On the slo-mo, when you watch it from the side, it’s very clear it’s an illegal shot. There’s no doubt about that,” Draper said at a pre-US Open press conference.

“But when you’re in the moment and you serve out wide and the guy’s hit a 95mph ball at your feet, you just put a racket down. I didn’t know what happened.

“I looked at the umpire straight away. I think I took a swipe at it, because I thought it was going in the bottom of the net, and then it hit the net and went over. It was just a split second of madness.”

At the time, Draper was clear that he would have replayed the point had video replay been available. Cincinnati had no such facility, but the technology will be in use in New York from Monday, August 26, covering around 75 per cent of singles matches.

Auger-Aliassime, Draper and Allensworth were caught in a crucial decision (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

Draper’s battling 5-7, 6-4 6-4 win showed solidity but he has been bruised by the criticism that has come his way since, even though he “completely understands” why people have questioned him. “I think it’s hard to stay away from it,” Draper said, back at Flushing Meadows as the No 25 seed after reaching the fourth round last year.

“I’ve always valued myself on being honest and a good person.

“Forget the tennis, that is one of the most important things to me in my life. So to see that stuff, people talking about you for the first time in a negative way — and questioning your integrity and stuff like that — it’s obviously difficult to see.

“I think anyone would be lying if they’re saying they’re not hurt by seeing a lot of comments saying, ‘you’re a cheat, you’re a liar’.”

Draper credited Auger-Aliassime for how well he dealt with the incident, adding that the Canadian had every right to feel extremely hard done by. Auger-Aliassime’s measured reaction continued in the locker room away from the TV cameras, Draper said. He also defended Allensworth, saying that with the speed involved, it was “so tough” for the umpire to make the call.

Draper begins his U.S. Open campaign on Tuesday (Frey/TPN/Getty Images)

“It’s a good way of showing that we really do need VAR technology, so that tennis is completely fair,” said Draper.

“It was obviously a huge point — if it was any other point, maybe it wouldn’t have been as big. But obviously, being a match point and being on a big stage, in a Masters, maybe this has happened so that tennis does change.

“We can’t have something like that happen again. It’s embarrassing for the players and really tough for the person (Auger-Aliassime) it happens to.”

Draper also discussed the gap left by the retired Andy Murray, his compatriot and good friend. Another leading British player, Emma Raducanu, had said a day earlier that tennis moves so quickly that “it doesn’t feel different at all” without him. For Draper, who has long credited Murray as an inspiration, it will be “difficult” without the former world No 1 — even joking that not having “his rancid, stinking shoes lying next to me in the locker room” will at least be an improvement.

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At the press conference, Draper also confirmed that he has parted ways with Wayne Ferreira, who was brought onto his coaching team four months ago. The 22-year-old, whose best run at the U.S. Open saw him reach the fourth round last year, faces Zhang Zhizhen in his opening match at Flushing Meadows on Tuesday.

(Top photo: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)