Wimbledon officials have been urged to look at bringing in a “Lucky Loser” rule after Nick Kyrgios was gifted a spot in the final after Rafa Nadal withdrew from their semi-final through injury overnight.
Kyrgios and Nadal were set for a semifinal clash on centre court before Nadal retired injured from the tournament after beating American Taylor Fritz in a tough five-set quarterfinal.
That gave Kyrgios a stroll into the final against Novak Djokovic or Cameron Norrie.
But several ‘experts’ have called fr the lucky loser rule, led by New York Times reporter Christopher Clarey.
“It happens so rarely, but I still think it’s worth exploring. When a player withdraws this late in a Grand Slam or before a major tour final, the beaten player should be able to take the slot,” Clarey tweeted.
And Pam Shriver tweeted: “I feel for Taylor Fritz. Should tennis re-examine the lucky loser rule’s scope?”
Fritz himself has downplayed the suggestion, saying he “doesn’t deserve” to be in the semi-finals.
‘[I’m] not looking for handouts, if I couldn’t beat him [Nadal] then I don’t deserve to be in the semis … simple as that,’ he said.
