Latest news with #MohamedLahyani
Times
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Times
John Isner v Nicolas Mahut: the inside story of tennis's longest match
I f a film is ever made about the longest tennis match in history, it would be portmanteau style with criss-crossing storylines, all finishing up on Wimbledon's No18 Court, maybe with some apocalyptic zombies in the supporting cast. It would obviously star a lookalike of Nicolas Mahut, the Frenchman who came through qualifying, and John Isner, the American best known for being exceedingly tall. Plus Mohamed Lahyani, the umpire. But a smart director would start with two journalists going to work that day, 15 years ago. One would be Ronald McIntosh, a BBC commentator who had worked primarily in boxing. He had never covered a tennis match in his life. On the BBC rota, McIntosh was given Isner-Mahut because it was low key. A good one on which to cut his teeth.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
ATP Chair Umpire Mohamed Lahyani Beats the Blackout at Madrid Open
Chaos ensued at the Madrid Open when a massive nationwide power outage in Spain halted all matches relying on electronic line-calling and digital scoreboards. Matches across the grounds were suspended, as the technology-driven officiating systems went completely dark. However, one match found a way forward thanks to the quick thinking and adaptability of legendary chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani. During the match between Italy's Matteo Arnaldi and Bosnia's Damir Dzumhur, Lahyani took full control — manually calling lines and keeping the score himself, ensuring that play could continue despite the technical chaos. Advertisement Arnaldi managed to close out the match in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4. Yet, due to the power failure, the result is not officially recognized on the ATP website for now. Typically, match results are entered directly through the chair umpire's tablet, which was rendered useless during the outage. Despite the extraordinary circumstances, Lahyani's old-school officiating kept the spirit of the tournament alive. His heroics offered a reminder of a time before tennis became so reliant on technology — and earned him plenty of praise from players and fans alike. Fans all around the world were left confused after a few platforms showed that the match had been suspended while others showed that the match had completed. Multiple tennis fans looked for confirmation on social media, and finally it looked like ATP acknowledged the completion of the match. This unusual day at the Madrid Open will be remembered not just for the blackout, but also for Lahyani's quick thinking.
Washington Post
27-04-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Zverev gets a warning for taking photo of ball mark at Madrid Open
MADRID — Top-seeded Alexander Zverev got a warning from the umpire for taking a photo of a ball mark during the clay-court Madrid Open on Sunday after complaining about electronic line-calling. The German player told umpire Mohamed Lahyani there was a 'malfunction' with the system after a backhand from local favorite Alejandro Davidovich Fokina was called in while Zverev thought it had gone wide during their third-round match.
