Roger Federer says a “misunderstanding” led to a heated debate with the chair umpire during his French Open victory
The 39-year-old was involved in a heated exchange with the chair umpire after being given a timeout for taking too long between points.
This sparked a long conversation with the referee, with Federer visibly confused by the situation. He was then seen asking Cilic questions while he was standing at the net.
“I didn’t feel like I played particularly slowly […] I always feel like I don’t make my opponent wait very long, but Marin obviously wanted to play faster. I didn’t notice that,” Federer downplayed the incident.
“I just feel like it was a misunderstanding on a lot of levels. I didn’t understand and figure it out, and I guess I’m just new to the new tour.”
“It was pretty interesting to watch. I brought a bit of energy to the match, which I thought was good.”
READ: Why Osaka’s decision to leave the tournament was the right one
However, the heated debate did not stop Federer from advancing to the third round of Roland Garros, where he eventually beat Cilic 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2.
The Swiss only recently returned from serious knee surgery last year and has only played three times in the last 17 months.
Before the clay court major, Federer downplayed his chances of winning the Grand Slam, but will face Germany’s Dominik Koepfer (59th) in the next round.
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Those: edition.cnn.com
2023-12-28 00:57:41
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