WIMBLEDON fans were left in DISBELIEF after Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina produced an unsuccessful under-arm serve during a fifth-set tie-break… before he went on to lose to Holger Rune.
World No 34 Fokina, 24, was on the brink of a big upset as he led sixth seed Rune, 20, 8-5 in the match-deciding tie-break – leaving him just two points away from victory.
BBCAlejandro Davidovich Fokina attempted an audacious under-arm serve in the tie-break[/caption]
Rune read the serve and fired a forehand winner across court
Rune whipped up the crowd after earning himself a match point
BBCFokina had an embarrassed look on his face as he looked to his corner for instruction after the nightmare moment[/caption]
Rune then won three successive points to level things up as the Court 3 crowd roared on both players.
But those in attendance were left in disbelief with the next point.
Fokina attempted a remarkably audacious under-arm serve, only for Rune to read it and hit a forehand winner.
The pumped-up Dane then revved up the adoring support as he earned himself a match point – with a bemused Fokina looking to his corner for instruction.
And the tie-break comeback was complete moments later as Rune clinched it 10-8 to progress through to the fourth round at Wimbledon.
But while Rune’s victory was an incredibly dramatic one, it was the under-arm serve that garnered much of the reaction on social media.
Tennis fans were astonished Fokina had attempted it at such a pressurised moment as he received a lot of backlash.
One person said: “Biggest mistake of his life.”
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Another added: “What a horrible decision. ”
A third replied: “And then he ran in behind it. One of the craziest things I’ve ever seen at a crucial point in a match.”
And a fourth responded: “Dude, you just ran around for 4 hours to do this at the end?”
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