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Watch: The ball boy who should have cost Andy Murray set point

Andy Murray. - BBC
Andy Murray. - BBC

Andy Murray may have been wrongly awarded the winning point in his third set tie-break after John Isner's mishit backhand was ruled out despite a ballboy catching it before it had bounced.

BBC commentator Andrew Castle said the umpire should have ordered a replay of the point as the Amercian's misplaced shot had never touched the grass before the ballboy scampered across to meet it.

The British home crowd favourite, who had been three set points up, had no issue in taking the point, however, as he clawed his way back into the match. As Murray walked away to a rapturous celebration, Andrew Castle had said: “I think they should replay that final point because the ball never bounced. The ballboy caught the ball, took a very good catch, but…"

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Co-commentator Tim Henman then added: “In normal circumstances the ball should have hit the ground but we all knew is was going wide.”

The ITF rules of tennis state: "If the ball in play touches a permanent fixture before it hits the ground, the player who hit the ball loses the point". However, given a ballboy does not count as a "permanent fixture", most experts said the umpire would normally be expected to call a let.

Murray's first round victory had also seen an unconventional moment as the former world No 1 used an underarm serve as "a smart play" against James Duckworth. The underarm shot is deemed by many as unsportsmanlike but is a legitimate move within the rules of tennis.