What's the Rule?

[jimlosaltos]

On match point in the finals at Bastaad, Fran Cerundolo drops his racket. Some fans say the shot actually hit his racket, which should give the point to his opponent, countryman Sebastian Baez. {I certainly can't tell from the videos. }

Skeptics say that doesn't count because the "racket wasn't in his hand". I know you aren't allow to play a shot by throwing a racket, but since catching a ball is interference I'm skeptical this wouldn't be. Either way it's pretty careless but understandable in the emotions of perhaps his biggest title.

Any ideas?

https://twitter.com/TennisTV/status/1548669076205101057

There's a slightly less bad view at 8:05 in the highlight video here.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/baez-cerundolo-bastad-2022-sunday-final

[stotty]

On match point in the finals at Bastaad, Fran Cerundolo drops his racket. Some fans say the shot actually hit his racket, which should give the point to his opponent, countryman Sebastian Baez. {I certainly can't tell from the videos. }

Skeptics say that doesn't count because the "racket wasn't in his hand". I know you aren't allow to play a shot by throwing a racket, but since catching a ball is interference I'm skeptical this wouldn't be. Either way it's pretty careless but understandable in the emotions of perhaps his biggest title.

Any ideas?

https://twitter.com/TennisTV/status/1548669076205101057

There's a slightly less bad view at 8:05 in the highlight video here.
https://www.atptour.com/en/news/baez...2-sunday-final

Well that's a strange one. But if the racket is not in his hand then it stands. It would be the same as hitting a leaf or some other debris that happened to have fallen on the court.

[jimlosaltos]

Well that's a strange one. But if the racket is not in his hand then it stands. It would be the same as hitting a leaf or some other debris that happened to have fallen on the court.

Really? Thanks, that's informative. I guess I'd falsely conflated throwing a racket with not being a legal play to it being a penalty, which isn't quite the same thing.