According to local reports, Alejandro Falla tanked part of the third set after a scoring error from the umpire during his match against Kei Nishikori in the second round of Chennai.
With Falla serving at 15-0 in the first game of the third set, a shot from Nishikori was called wide but the umpire announced the score as 15-15. The error went unnoticed by Falla until four points later, when the Colombian believed he had won the game but heard the score announced as deuce.
Falla argued with the umpire and smashed a ball out of the stadium, earning a warning. After losing the game, Falla smashed his racquet, getting a point penalty. He appeared to make no effort for the next two games.
The Hindu reported that Falla was "hardly moving as he let Nishikori's serves sail past untouched" and when "it was his turn to serve, he faulted thrice in a row, and floated a first serve over at 84 mph."
"Down 0-3 and with his coach screaming at him to give his best, Falla gave one last shot at the match," reported ESPN Star Sports. "But by then it was a case of too little too late..."
"I thought I had hit the ball out at 0-15 and the line umpire also confirmed that," Nishikori was quoted as saying. "But the chair umpire announced 15-15 and I asked him about it at 15-30. When he confirmed the score I thought maybe I was confused.
"But by the time it came to deuce, Falla and I both realised an error had been made. Then the umpire said it is already deuce and there is nothing he can do about changing the score.
"He gave away some deliberate points ...[but] if it was my situation I would have gone crazy too."