US Open semifinalist Frances Tiafoe apologized on his social media account after a shocking outburst at the end of his third round Shanghai Masters match. He burst into rage and aimed a torrent of expletives at the chair umpire after losing his match. The American was angered after being docked his first serve for a time violation at 5-5 in the decisive tiebreaker. He then targeted umpire Jimmy Pinoargote in a minute-long tirade after his 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (5) loss against unseeded Roman Safiullin. Frances Tiafoe could face fines for verbal abuse of an official and for using obscenities.
Frances Tiafoe Couldn’t Hold His Anger
Frances Tiafoe couldn’t hold his anger after the match was over. He was mad after Pinoargate gave him a time violation when he was serving at 5-5 in the final set tiebreak. He lost his first serve after tossing the ball in the air though it was unclear if it was an attempt to serve.
“No, no, I tossed the ball up… I was ready to serve. Dude, that’s the rule,” Tiafoe said. He repeatedly told the same arguments as he walked towards the net while trying to convince the Ecuadorian chair umpire Pinoargote.“I’m not buying it, it’s the second serve,” the umpire said in response. He put an end to the discussion by announcing “second serve” on the microphone. Frances Tiafoe went on to lose the point and eventually the match. He congratulated Safiullin at the net before turning toward the umpire’s chair. Tiafoe then shouted and cursed the F-word several times to Pinoargate.
Before this controversial match, Frances Tiafoe had a stellar run of form in the summer reaching the final of the Cincinnati Open, where he lost to Jannik Sinner. He then reached the semifinals at the US Open where he lost in five sets to fellow American Taylor Fritz.
Tiafoe Could Face Fines For Verbal Abuse Of An Official
After shouting expletives at the umpire during his third round match at the Shanghai Masters, Frances Tiafoe could face fines for verbal abuse of an official and for using obscenities. The tournament can take away some of his prize money and the case could also be sent to the ATP Member Fines Committee for further investigation. The ATP tour spokesman said there is no decision has yet been made on the matter.
According to the ATP rule book, the fine for the Master 1000 tournament violation is $60,000. The complete statement of the rule is this:
“Players shall not at any time directly or indirectly verbally abuse an official, opponent, sponsor, spectator or any other person within the precincts of the tournament site. Verbal abuse is defined as any statement about an official, opponent, sponsor, spectator or any other person that implies dishonesty or is derogatory, insulting or otherwise abusive.”
The violation of this rule “shall subject a player to a fine up to $60,000 (£45,767) for ATP Tour Masters 1000 tournaments for each violation.”
Tiafoe Apologized
Hours after the incident, the world No. 17 Tiafoe issued an apology on his Instagram account:
“I really apologize for the way I acted tonight. That is not who I am and not how I ever want to treat people. I let my frustration in the heat of the moment get the best of me and I’m extremely disappointed with how I handled the situation. That’s not acceptable behavior and I want to apologize to the umpire, the tournament, and the fans. I’ll be better for yall,”
Looking Ahead To Rest Of Tournament
Frances Tiafoe is not the only player who burst into anger that day. Mohamed Lahyani became the latest umpire to be pulled into drama at the Shanghai Masters on Tuesday. Third-ranked Alexander Zverev also used expletives in an exchange with the umpire. A double bounce of the ball was correctly called when Zverev stretched to play a shot approaching the net. Zverev converted his eighth match point to beat Tallon Griekspoor 7-6 (6), 2-6, 7-6 (5).
On the other hand, with his win over Frances Tiafoe, Safiullin had a chance to face Novak Djokovic in the round of 16. Djokovic passed the latest test in his quest for a 100th tour-level title. He powered past Flavio Cobolli 6-1, 6-2 to advance to the fourth round.
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