From Alexander Zverev to Frances Tiafoe: on-court rants cause discussion
Fans are divided over the rants of Alexander Zverev and Frances Tiafoe
The day of competition in Shanghai for the penultimate Masters 1000 of the year consigned to the archives two heavy on-court rants against umpires by top tennis players Alexander Zverev and Frances Tiafoe, during the match won by the German against Tallon Griekspoor and the one lost by the American against Roman Safiullin.
In the final of the first set against the Dutchman, after an actually correct call (as shown by replays) against him for hitting the ball twice with his racket, Zverev è indulged in a rather harsh comment in English, addressing the chair judge: "Every time I play a slam final I lose because of you" he said.
"You decide who wins and who loses every week, you make a lot of mistakes,‖ continued Zverev, who then è was called back with a 'warning' -What do I play for? ". The German, who has been criticized by both international reporters and many fans on social media, then won his match two sets to one, with partials of 7-6(6), 2-6, 7-6(5), and will face; David Goffin in the round of 16.
Frances Tiafoe's Shanghai adventure, on the other hand, ended in the worst way: after losing to Safiullin 5-7, 7-5, 7-6(5), the American addressed the chair judge with a series of less than elegant expletives and will almost certainly be fined by the ATP for using profanity toward a match official. It was a rant that reignited the debate about the behavior of players on the court in high-pressure situations, an attitude for which, however, Tiafoe himself è apologized in a press conference.