Davis Cup celebrated last weekend the first round for the qualifiers. In the match between Belgium (Zizou Bergs) and Chile (Cristián Garín), a truly unusual thing happened. Just before playing the game that could have been the final (6-3, 4-6 y 6-5, in favour of Berg), both players collided while they were changing sides.
Bergs, running through the court after winning the previous point, was perhaps a bit overexcited and, accidentally clashed against Garín: Berg's shoulder hit Garín's face, and the Chilean fell to the ground.
Immediately, Bergs went to check on him and apologize. However, Garín asked vehemently for Bergs to be disqualified, as he considered it to be an aggression. The referee didn't agree, and when Garín refused to keep on playing, he instead was given a penalty, and Bergs was given the victory.
After that, a huge controversy arose between those who believed that Bergs' conduct was unprofessional he should have been given a penalty, and those who think that the Chilean overreacted, because it was an accidental.
Tennis Belgium issued an statement describing the incident as "unfortunate" and "involuntary" and defended Bergs: "Zizou immediately apologized on the court and checked on Garin's condition. He is a true team player with an impeccable reputation for fair play. Due to his style and sportmanship, Zizou is a well-respected and appreciated player both on and off the court".
This meant that the Belgian team won Chile 3-1 and advance to the second round (seeded 14th) while Chile (seeded 16th) will play the David Cup World Group I. Last year, Italy won both the Davis Cup and the Billie Jean King Cup, which are considered the "World Cup" of tennis. The final 8 of the Davis Cup will take place in Italy this year, and until 2027.