“Shut up!” Shapovalov shouted to the audience.
Denis Shapovalov did not agree with the referee’s decision
Who: Reuters
Professional tennis player Denis Shapovalov withdrew from the Masters Tournament in Rome. During his first match, he faces the referee and the audience. Al-Kindi then gives a curious assessment of the fans.
DrEnis Shapovalov was next to himself. Opponent Lorenzo Sonego was unable to execute his short serve and ended up running back out of bounds. Contrary to expectations, Al-Kindi was not awarded the point. Because on Sonego’s advice, referee Richard Hay intervened. He looked at Shapovalov’s dispatch imprint again and corrected the decision. The ball was out of bounds. Point to Sonego.
It was a decision that Shapovalov would no longer play in the first round match at the ATP Masters in Rome. World number 16. He argued vigorously with the referee, even climbing over the net for it. Violation of the rules punished by the ruling accordingly. Because Shapovalov had been warned earlier, there was a risk of losing a point.
So far, at the latest, the 23-year-old has been unstoppable. “I’m not doing anything unsportsmanlike – how can you take a point out of me,” he whispered in Hai’s direction and demanded that the tennis supervisor be used as a kind of referee. Unsurprisingly, this came after the evaluation of the rule of the chair. Shapovalov lost the point and the match was suddenly delayed 3:5 in the second set. “That’s stupid. Repeat for several minutes.
At the expense of the crowd in Rome, who were already supporting the local hero Sonego. Loud whistles were now directed at the Shapovalovs. He lost his composure. “Shut up!” shouted in the audience. Absurdity may have cost him the last sympathies of the Italian public.
“The fans love me here”
Shapovalov gave a different rating after eventually winning the match in 3:11 7:6 (7:5), 3:6 and 6:3. “The fans love me here and I love the fans,” he said. Shortly before that, he unsuccessfully tried to get a spectator out of the stands, calling him a troublemaker.
After the match, Shapovalov’s anger (right) was gone.
Coyle: Getty Images/Alex Pantling
In the last round of the second round against Georgian Nikolos Basilashvili, it will become clear how real his relationship with the fans is. Then Shapovalov would like to make less fuss. “I have to take better care of myself,” admitted the Canadian, who apologized to referee Hay after the match. It is not yet known if he will face a penalty for his behaviour.
This isn’t the first time Shapovalov has made a negative impression on the tour. Most recently, he made serious allegations against the referee at the Australian Open earlier this year during the quarter-final match against Rafael Nadal. He said at the time: “You are all corrupt” and added after the match: “You get the feeling that you are not only playing against your opponent, but also against the referees.”
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