WTA Budapest: after point stolen from Shuai Zhang by Hungarian Toth, Kateryna Kozlova Baindl “avenges” the Chinese woman

WTA Budapest: after point stolen from Shuai Zhang by Hungarian Toth, Kateryna Kozlova Baindl “avenges” the Chinese woman

Two days ago, in the first round of the WTA clay court tournament in Budapest, Shuai Zhang suffered a theft that has few precedents in tennis history. While trailing 5-5 15-15 and serving in the first set against young Hungarian Amarissa Toth, then a local favorite, the Chinese was called out on a distinctly good ball.

The umpire came down to check the mark and incredibly confirmed the line judge’s call. The No. 2 seed and world No. 45 rightly continued to protest, asking for the supervisor’s intervention, but in the meantime the Hungarian girl, world No. 548, went to clear the mark of the ball called out to Zhang.

A gesture of unprecedented unsportsmanship that immediately recalled that of Jimmy Connors toward Corrado Barazzutti in the 1977 US Open semifinal. At that point poor Zhang was blinded and losing the game 6-5 she had a panic attack and retreated shaking hands with the umpire and then with her opponent who also had the further shamelessness of cheering in her face.

Today the young Toth received, so to speak, her punishment, losing narrowly 6-3 6-1 to Ukrainian Kateryna Kozlova Baindl, number 100, who at the end of the match dedicated the victory to Zhang: “I hope she feels better, I would like to see her soon on the court because she is a great player and a very good person. We players should always be respectful to each other no matter what happens.”