During a round-robin match at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, rising tennis stars Arthur Fils and Luca Nardi encountered an unusual disruption. The umpire, Mohamed Lahyani, intervened during their game, leading to a perplexing mid-match change in ends, leaving spectators puzzled.
At a critical point in the match, with the score at 40-0, Lahyani halted play and engaged in a lengthy discussion with Fils and Nardi before instructing them to swap sides. This unexpected decision caused confusion both on and off the court, especially as Fils, the tournament favorite, was about to serve.
The tournament, designed for the emerging generation of male players, often serves as a platform to trial new rules and styles aimed at refining the sport at its highest level. Despite Lahyani’s experience as an umpire, a new rule apparently caught him off guard, prompting the mid-game adjustment.
This is a first 😅
The players change ends DURING a game! #NextGenATPFinals pic.twitter.com/ubDTlAVkcy
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) November 28, 2023
Amidst the confusion, the conversation between the players and the umpire ensued, clarifying the rule’s application regardless of the score. Eventually, after a minute-long interruption, the game resumed, with Fils serving from the opposite end he started. Despite the disruption, Fils rallied and managed to triumph over Nardi in a thrilling three-set victory.
The incident raised eyebrows and sparked discussions about the viability of such a rule at the highest echelons of tennis. The unexpected mid-match alteration left both players and fans bemused, highlighting the complexities of integrating new rules into the sport’s top tier.
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Arthur Fils in 2023
Now the world no.36 (career-high), Fils played his last match on the 29th of November when he beat world no.100 Flavio Cobolli 4-1 4-2 4-2 in the round robin in the Next Gen ATP Finals (draw).
This year Fils has managed to achieve a composed 41-23 match record. The French player clinched 2 titles in 2023 in the Oeiras 2 Challenger and Lyon. Arthur reached the final in the Quimper Challenger and Antwerp.
Luca Nardi in 2023
LWLLWWWWWW Currently ranked no.115 (career-high), Nardi played his last match on the 29th of November when he lost to world no.94 Dominic Stricker 4-1 4-1 4-2 in the round robin in the Next Gen ATP Finals (draw).
This year Nardi has achieved an overall 40-36 record. The Italian has won 2 titles in 2023 in the Porto Challenger and the Matsuyama Challenger. The Italian got to the final in the Pune Challenger.
Arthur Fils and Luca Nardi squared off only once. Their head to head is 1-0 for Fils. When they played, Arthur Fils won 2-4 4-3(6) 4-2 1-4 4-2 in the round robin in Jeddah (Next Gen ATP Finals) on the 28th of November 2023.
You can watch the highlights in the following video.
