The American Frances Tiafoe, 17th in the world, apologized on Tuesday after copiously insulting the referee following his defeat in the third round of the Masters 1000 in Shanghai against the Russian Roman Safiullin 5-7, 7-5, 7 -6 (7/5).
“F… you man!” (“Fuck you…!), the 26-year-old, seeded number 13, said several times and in an increasingly vehement tone to the chair umpire at the end of the match.
The scandal followed a sanction imposed for exceeding time when serving at 5-5 in the decisive game of the third set.
Tiafoe had just thrown his first ball empty, which the referee considered played, forcing the American to serve a second ball at the worst moment. Safiullin won the point, earning himself a match point which he converted. In the next round, the 61st in the world will face Serbian Novak Djokovic (4th).
On Tuesday evening, Tiafoe made amends on social media. “I sincerely apologize for the way I acted tonight. That’s not the way I am and it’s not the way I want to treat people. I let my frustration get the best of me and I am extremely disappointed in how I handled the situation. This is not acceptable behavior and I apologize to the tournament referee and the fans.”
The incident could result in a heavy financial penalty for the American player if the ATP decides to take up the matter.
Related News :