- Casey Dellacqua guilty of terrible live television mistake
- Revealed in his interview with Madison Keys
- Tony Jones' saga with Novak Djokovic continues
Channel Nine's coverage of the Australian Open continued to make headlines for all the wrong reasons on Thursday night when former local star Casey Dellacqua made a shocking mistake while interviewing Madison Keys.
The embarrassing on-air gaffe saw Dellacqua incorrectly tell the American star that she did not have to save a match point against Iga Swiatek moments after the 19th seed stunned the Pole in an epic three-set match at Rod Laver Arena.
American star Keys secured her place in the women's title final against two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, with many tennis fans wondering if Dellacqua was actually watching the action after her embarrassing mistake.
While answering a question about the exciting third set, Keys asked Dellacqua: “Did she (Swiatek) have a match point?”
Dellacqua laughed in response, which was followed by a painful silence.
Dellacqua, a former doubles specialist, stated: “No, I don't think she (Swiatek) had a match point.”
Channel Nine's questionable coverage of the Australian Open continued on Thursday night after former Australian tennis player Casey Dellacqua incorrectly stated that Iga Switaek did not have a match point in her semi-final loss to Madison Keys.
The embarrassing mid-air mistake unfolded moments after 19th seed Madison Keys stunned the second seed in an epic three-set match on Rod Laver Arena.
Keys understandably seemed confused, and eventually someone off-camera confirmed that Dellacqua was wrong.
“Yeah, she had one, to be honest…she had one,” he said, as Keys nodded.
Dellacqua then tried to cover her tracks, convinced she had to “run out of the bunker” to get on the court for the postgame interview.
This came despite Switaek's match point coming before the 10-point tiebreaker.
Dellacqua's conduct was widely described as “disgraceful” and “humiliating” on social media.
'How is it possible that someone who comes to do the on-court interview doesn't know that a player had a match point?' one said in X.
'Casey Dellacqua didn't know if Swiatek had match point…?? Surely there are at least 100 more people qualified to conduct a post-match on-court interview after a Grand Slam semi-final? another stated.
Casey Dellacqua blushed after someone off camera confirmed she was wrong.
It follows fellow commentator Tony Jones infamously labeling 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic as “overrated”, which he later claimed was “banter”.
Jones finally publicly apologized to the furious Serbian superstar, who previously boycotted an interview with the broadcaster because he felt “disrespected.”
And it doesn't end there: men's semi-finalist Ben Shelton also criticized the coverage of the Nine's Open.
“I was a little surprised how they treated the players,” he said.
'I feel like broadcasters should help us grow our sport and help these athletes who just won games on the biggest stage enjoy one of their biggest moments.
'I feel like there has been a lot of negativity. “I think that’s something that needs to change.”
This was followed by Roger Rasheed's failed attempt at a joke while interviewing Ben Shelton, with the American then firing off the type of questions the host announcer has been asking stars after their matches.