The tantrum continued to flare up. shanghai masters This week, Greek tennis player Stefanos Tsitsipas verbally abused the referee for several minutes and refused to play.
During Wednesday's round of 16 match against rivals Daniil Medvedev Tsitsipas lashed out at referee Fergus Murphy during the second set when he lost his first serve due to a time violation.
Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas hits a forehand return against Russia's Daniil Medvedev during the men's singles fourth round of the Shanghai Masters at Qizhong Forest Sports City Tennis Center in Shanghai, China, Wednesday, October 9, 2024. do. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Tsitsipas appears to have taken the decision as a personal attack by Murphy.
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“Why are you doing this to me? I'm the most consistent player on tour,” Tsitsipas said. But Murphy didn't back down.
“Just listen. It might help if you listen,” Murphy said. “I have to keep looking at the clock because it starts automatically. I have no control over that.”
But Tsitsipas relented.
“Why are you all suddenly against me? I don't understand,” Tsitsipas said. “The last few months have been horrible. I can't understand what I did to you.”
Murphy stood his ground and the match resumed, but Tsitsipas committed a double fault and again took issue with Murphy, refusing to continue playing unless he could speak to the manager.
American tennis star Francis Tiafoe lashes out at referee after loss at Shanghai Masters
“You've never played tennis in your life. You don't seem to know anything about tennis,” Tsitsipas said to Murphy, making a personal comment. “You definitely don't have a career. You probably served and volleyed every time. Tennis is a physical sport anyway and you need time over there. You have to show compassion, so show compassion.” You have to.”
Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece speaks with the referee during his match against Russia's Daniil Medvedev in the men's singles fourth round of the Shanghai Masters at Qizhong Forest Sports City Tennis Center on Wednesday, October 9, 2024 in Shanghai, China. . (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
“it is physical sport. We’re not throwing darts here, okay,” he continued. “If it becomes unfair, you need to talk to your supervisor. … It sounds like you don't know what you're doing.”
Tsitsipas eventually spoke with the coach, but the match ended in a 7-6 (3), 6-3 loss.
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The incident followed a heated moment between American tennis star Francis Tiafoe and referee Jimmy Pino-Argote on Tuesday, with Tiafoe lashing out at match officials several times after losing in the third round. This happened after he announced an apology after being shouted at.
“I'm truly sorry for my actions tonight. That's not who I am and how I want to treat people,” he said in a message shared to his Instagram Story.
Francis Tiafoe of the United States celebrates after winning his match against China's Zhou Yi. (Reuters/Wang Tingju)
“I am frustrated by the heat and am very sorry for the way I handled the situation. This is unacceptable behavior and I would like to apologize to the referee, the tournament and the fans. It will be better.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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