"Coco Gauff did well" - Andy Roddick defends compatriot after she stands up against umpire's "completely wrong call" at Dubai Tennis Championships

Andy Roddick has vehemently defended Coco Gauff following her heated confrontation with the chair umpire regarding a controversial call during her third-round encounter in Dubai.

Currently, in the desert fighting to defend points from her semi-final run last year, Gauff clinically dispatched Italy's Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-1, 7-5 in the Round of 32.

Up against former World No. 1 Karolina Pliskova in the Round of 16 on Wednesday, February 21, Gauff was slow to get off the blocks, losing the first set 2-6.

The defending US Open champion saw a reversal of fortunes in the second set, immediately going up a break in the first game. Up 4-2 in the second set and serving at deuce, Gauff found herself at the receiving end of a controversial call.

Despite her successful review that showed her first serve land in, umpire Pierre Bacchi gave Pliskova the benefit of the doubt and ordered the point to be replayed. A disgruntled Gauff engaged in a lengthy disagreement with the umpire. Repeated requests from her end to have the supervisor in court were denied by Bacchi.

The American eventually gave up and carried on to serve out the game. Despite being broken while serving for the set at 5-3, Gauff broke Pliskova in the very next game to take the second set 6-3.

A clinical display in the final set saw Gauff close out the match and seal a quarterfinal berth with a 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory.

Reacting to the controversy that unfolded during her match, compatriot Andy Roddick defended Gauff on X, and lambasted the umpire for being "completely wrong" and further "lying" about being wrong.

He disagreed about it being a "judgment call" and suggested that the umpire should have "honored her normal request" of wanting to speak to the supervisor.

"This is an absurd exchange for this umpire. 1. He’s completely wrong 2. He’s lying about being wrong. 3. She must have simply said 10 plus times, I’d like the supervisor. That’s not a judgement call. He simply needed to honor that normal request and call the supervisor," Roddick wrote on X.

Roddick also took a jibe at Pliskova for not coming clean about whether the call hindered her return or not.

Coco did well here. That’s before her opponent also not acknowledging truth (which she certainly didn’t have to do)," Roddick added.

Coco Gauff to face Anna Kalinskaya in Dubai Tennis Championships QF

Coco Gauff at the 2024 Dubai Tennis Championships - Getty Images

Coco Gauff will take on Anna Kalinskaya in the quarterfinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships on Thursday, February 22.

Kalinskaya battled her way through the qualifiers to make it to the main draw of the event. She comprehensively beat Storm Hunter and Cristina Bucsa in the opening two rounds. Up against 2022 Dubai champion and ninth seed Jelena Ostapenko in the Round of 16, Kalinskaya fought back from a break down in both sets to win the match 6-4, 7-5.

Gauff and Kalinskaya are yet to face off on tour and their head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.