Karen Khachanov was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Antwerp tournament on Friday by Daniel Evans.
A meeting during which the Russian let himself go to a fit of anger against the arbitration which earned him (only) a warning.
The reason for his stroke?
A judgment on an important exchange in the second set, in the middle of a decisive game, offering an innings point to his opponent.
Convinced that Evans' attack had ended in the corridor when the ball was deemed good, the Moscow colossus very quickly pulled out to express his displeasure.
After having put down his racket and protested by yelling several times "It's a joke" ("It's a joke", note), the player, who initially made the audience laugh a lot, finally resumed his place on the short.
But in the process, Evans pocketed the second set.
Khachanov's anger had not subsided and returning to his chair, the 16th player in the world kicked the net hard before hitting the referee's chair with his racquet.
The audience, this time, laughed much less and the whistles sounded in the room.
He apologized after the meeting
Khachanov, who finally lost the match (3-6, 7-6 (7), 6-4), returned to this incident on social networks and apologized, especially to the referee: “I would like say that after the match, I spoke with the referee.
He was really sorry and apologized to me for the mistakes he made during the match and I apologized for my rude behavior.
Ultimately, we are all human and capable of making mistakes.
I didn't want to hurt anyone and not act like this.
I just couldn't control my anger in those crucial moments which ultimately illustrate the outcome of the match.
Thank you all for your support."
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