“I’m sure it went under!” – Matteo Gigante was right to challenge the point against Gabriel Diallo in Toronto
An unusual scene unfolded during the second round of the Toronto Masters 1000: Matteo Gigante stopped play mid-point, claiming a ball had gone under the net. To everyone’s surprise — and thanks to video review — he was proven right.
Matteo Gigante Toronto 2025 – © Zuma / Psnewz
The incident occurred Wednesday night during the second-round clash between Canadian Gabriel Diallo (world No. 36) and Italy’s Matteo Gigante (ATP No. 125). Diallo was leading 5-3 in the first set when confusion briefly took over the Aviva Centre.
After a rally appeared to end on a backhand error by Gigante, the umpire called the point for Diallo, who was ready to serve again. But the Italian, visibly frustrated yet confident, walked up to the net and insisted something wasn’t right: he claimed Diallo’s forehand hadn’t crossed the net properly — it had gone under it.
Video confirms a rare technical anomaly
In response to Gigante’s persistent objections, the umpire called for video review. The replay left no room for doubt: the ball had indeed traveled under the net cord, slipping through the mesh without making contact with the net or crossing over it.
The point was correctly reversed and awarded to Gigante — a rare but entirely legal decision according to the ITF rulebook, which clearly states that for a shot to be valid, the ball must cross over the net or touch the net cord. A ball going underneath, even without contact, results in the loss of point.
Gigante loses the match, but wins the strangest point of the night
Despite being awarded the point, Gigante eventually lost the match in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6(5), as Diallo delivered a composed performance in front of a home crowd.
Still, the moment stood out as one of the most bizarre and talked-about points of the tournament — a reminder of how video technology can clarify even the rarest of tennis situations.
