Jannik Sinner was a game away from booking his place in the French Open third round when he began to struggle physically.
The top seed led 5-1 in the final set and looked to be easing his way into the round of 32.
But a surprising collapse saw Juan Manuel Cerundolo close the gap, threatening to break at 5-4, 0-40.
How would you solve Jannik Sinner being allowed medical treatment for cramps?
Another incident…
Sinner then left the court for a medical assessment, angering TNT Sports commentator, Jim Courier.
Jim Courier claims rules are being bent for top players as Jannik Sinner struggles at Roland Garros
“The chair umpire has not activated the serve clock,” said Courier.
“She is going to give him the benefit of the doubt that this is an injury. This is unquestionably not an injury.
“This is unfair for [Juan Manuel] Cerundolo. The clock should be counting. He should be getting penalised for this. This is not an injury.
“He is reacting to different areas of his body, this is not like an ankle injury. This is clearly cramping.
“It’s not right. It’s not fair. [Daniil] Medvedev in Rome in their semi-final when [Jannik] Sinner got a medical time out for seemingly a loss of conditioning. It’s clearly cramps.
“[Alexander] Zverev had the same reaction when he was playing [Carlos] Alcaraz in the semi-finals of the Australian Open. Alcaraz, the same things.
“We love the top players, they are great for the sport, but you have to apply the rules fairly.
“The rules are being bent for the top players.
“You cannot tell me you have to take him off court to see what his vital signs are like.
“This is absolute baloney.”
When Sinner returned to the court, he lost the third set to Cerundolo, 5-7.
What is the controversy surrounding Jannik Sinner and cramps?
During this year’s Italian Open, Sinner received a controversial medical time-out during his semi-final win over Daniil Medvedev.
Medvedev believed Sinner received treatment for cramps, which is not allowed.
Commentating for Sky Sports, Jamie Murray agreed with the Russian.
“He is getting treated for cramp essentially, he’s getting his quads massaged,” said Murray.
“So, it happens a lot, obviously, I don’t agree with it personally.
“He’s getting his other quad massaged now, so it’s a tough one to explain that you have got two injured quads and it’s not cramp while you’re sipping on your pickle juice.
“Players exploit that every week; it’s not a unique situation. Medvedev knows what is up.”
Sinner recovered, winning the match in three sets a day later after a rain delay.
Would he have done so without the time-out? Who knows.
What we do know is that players shouldn’t receive treatment for cramps during medical timeouts, and officials need to do a better job of enforcing the rule.
And as Courier rightly pointed out, Sinner probably didn’t need to be taken off court to have his vital signs checked against Cerundolo.
Giving the Italian an extra 10-15 minutes backstage in an air-conditioned room undoubtedly boosted his chances of recovery.
You can’t help but wonder whether Cerundolo would have been afforded the same break had the shoe been on the other foot.
Regardless, Cerundolo currently leads Sinner 4-1 in the fourth set, closing in on an all-time upset on Court Philippe Chatrier.
