MELBOURNE - A noble gesture by Magnus Norman on match point ensured the Australian Open lost its top four men's seeds.
Norman, the fourth seed from Sweden, was knocked out 7-6 6-3 0-6 6-4 by Sebastian Grosjean in the fourth round.
After the final point the Frenchman was already celebrating
the biggest win of his career when the chair umpire called a let.
Norman told the umpire that he did not think the ball had hit the net tape and insisted the point should stand.
Norman, 24, said he had felt compelled to concede: "The ball was clearly above the top of the net, even though the umpire told us both there had been a let.
"If I had taken it and the match had turned around, I'm not sure I could have gone home feeling good about myself.
"My mother always told me when I was growing up that I should play hard but also fairly.
"Anyway, I didn't deserve to win. I did not play a good match, I made too many mistakes."
"That has never happened to me, certainly not on match point," Grosjean said.
"I don't know why he did it - but Magnus is a nice guy. He is a competitive player but he is very fair."
Norman's loss meant that none of the world's top four men have made the quarter-finals after Gustavo Kuerten, Marat Safin and Pete Sampras were all beaten in the first week.
- REUTERS
Two former champs charge into last eight of Australian Open
