With a great controversy the series of Qualifiers of Davis Cup what Belgium y Chile They played in Hasselt. With house owners 2-1 above, Zizou bergs y Cristian Garin They disputed the fourth point in a very tension climate. And in the outcome of the decisive set, the local player celebrated with so much desire a break that crashed the Chilean when they crossed the network and unleashed an unusual outcome. Because Garín, who fell to the ground taking his right eye, demanded the disqualification of his rival, but ended up receiving a sanction that cost him the defeat and elimination of his country.
The stadium Sports hall Alverberg It was a boiler this Sunday, especially after the victory of the Belgians in the doubles that opened the day and left them to a victory of the pass to the second round. In the next game, Bergs took over the first set 6-3, but Garín reacted and took the second 6-4. And the third was a very even battle.
Therefore, when he connected an unstoppable crossed right and made the break in the 11th game, to get 6-5, Bergs ran to his bank, celebrating with his audience. When he reached the network, he could not stop and took ahead without wanting Garín, who was heading to his bank, hitting him with his shoulder in the cheekbone and right eye and on the shoulder.
Bergs y Steve Darcisthe Belgian captain immediately apologized, while the umpire got off his chair to see how Garín was, who fell to the ground taking that area of his face. The Chilean got up and asked for the attention of the physio. And the team led by Nicolás Massú He demanded the disqualification of the premises, but the party authorities only warned the Belgian for unsportsmanlike behavior.
After the minutes stipulated by regulation for the “medical time”, the party should be resumed. But Garín, who was still arguing with the general referee of the series, did not return to the court. Chile received three consecutive time infractions, as explained in the account of Twitter of the competition, which resulted in a penalty of a lost game, which sentenced the victory of Bergs 6-3, 4-6 and 7-5. And with a global 3-1, Belgium got into the second round of the Qualifiers, in which he will collide with Australia In September.
“It is a pity that a beautiful battle will end that way. I hope everyone understands that this was an involuntary accident,” Bergs said. Meanwhile, Darcis said: “It is not the way we wanted to win the series. But the decision was made by the referees. Zizou did not do so on purpose. It was an accident.”
Chileans’ anger was not on the court. A while after the end of the series, Garín was downloaded in a story in his account of Instagram. “So the player is injured and cannot play again, but we do nothing about it. Wow, what a beautiful world and what a great mentality,” he wrote next to an image of the moment of the shock with Bergs.
“Cristian Garin received a strong blow to the eyeball, which is why he fell and hit the head. This generated an inflammation, difficulties to see, nausea and strong headache, although at no time did he lose consciousness. He was in a position to continue playing, “said Alejandro Orizola, a doctor of the Chilean team, according to the tennis federation of that country on Instagram.
The Chilean Olympic Committee, meanwhile, issued a Twitter state produced a series of physical consequences. ”
“We have expressed to the Tennis Federation all our collaboration to go to the relevant instances so that this unfortunate international embarrassment is not without sanction,” he added.