The 2024 United Cup was only seconds old when it descended into chaos, with a failure of the electronic line calling system dudding Spain with the very first point.
In the opening event of the Aussie Summer of Tennis, Thiago Seyboth Wild for Brazil looked to have sent down an ace to start the tournament, but Alejandro Davidovich Fokina down the other end wasn't happy.
He suggested it bounced well long of the service box and raised it with the chair umpire, who was then informed the electronic system that calls the lines had failed.
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Replays showed the Spaniard was right – the serve was some half a metre long.
"That's not a good start for the technology," Todd Woodbridge quipped in commentary for Nine.
Players were told the system was down and looked begrudgingly ready to continue before a replay flashed up on the screen.
Davidovich Fokina pleaded with the chair umpire to change his decision, but it fell on deaf ears.
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"This is quite a bizarre start to a match," commentator John Fitzgerald said, before suggesting the Brazilian could have been more sporting about the issue, particularly after seeing the replay.
"Thiago could have said 'let's play a let', or at least a second serve."
After winning a point, players have the ability to forfeit the point or have it replayed.
Seyboth Wild eventually held the first game to take a 1-0 lead.
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"I know it's easy sitting up here, (but) I thought they could have moved on a bit quicker there. It was obviously out," fellow commentator David Culbert said.
"We saw a replay on our monitors and it looked half a metre out … what can you do?
"If the central umpire doesn't overrule it initially, which he is unlikely to do because of the technology these days, you've got to move on."
But from there, the Brazilian never looked in the contest, Davidovich Fokina running out a dominant 6-4, 6-0 winner.
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