Thanasi Kokkinakis has slammed the umpire for a harsh time violation during his second-round match against top-seeded Andrey Rublev at the 2023 Adelaide International 2.
Kokkinakis, who was leading 5-4 in the first set, waited for a group of fans to go silent before he served when the umpire gave him a time violation. The incident occurred when Kokkinakis was up in the first set but the match was tense and loud with a lot of noise from the crowd.
The Australian waited for the noise to subside before he served, but the umpire issued a time violation, citing a delay in play. Kokkinakis was furious with the call and expressed his frustration in no uncertain terms. He told the umpire:
“No no no no no, that’s a s**t call. What do you mean, ‘How do you know?’ Are you hearing how loud that is? I’m waiting for them to stop jeering. That’s a terrible call. What are you doing? You’re just trying to get involved."
The incident was unfortunate and it's clear that Kokkinakis felt hard done by, he believes that he was just trying to be respectful of the crowd noise and trying to get a fair match. The time violation also disrupted Kokkinakis’ rhythm. The match ended in a win for Kokkinakis, who continues to show his ability on the tour and his potential for the future.
“I’m waiting for them to stop. I was literally telling them to stop booing and now you’re giving me a time violation for that. I was ready, I was waiting for them to shut up. That’s your fault for not paying attention."
"So take it back. Why can’t you take it out? It doesn’t f**king matter now. If you do your job then I can do mine. If you’re not watching me, that's your fault. What are you watching then?”
This incident highlights the importance of consistent and fair officiating in tennis. Players should be able to focus on their performance without the added pressure of questionable calls. Umpires have a difficult job and must balance enforcing the rules while also understanding the nuances of the game, but they should make sure to be fair and not get involved in the game just to make a call.
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