Tiafoe Furious About 'Comical' Decision Not To Default Musetti For Hitting Line Judge
NewsWednesday, 04 June 2025 at 00:30
Lorenzo Musetti controversially escaped disqualification in his quarter-final match at Roland Garros against Frances Tiafoe, and the American was unhappy afterward.
Musetti beat Tiafoe in four sets to advance to the semi-final in Paris. On Friday, he will play defending champion and tournament favorite Carlos Alcaraz in what promises to be a blockbuster semi-final.
However, things could have been very different if the umpire had taken a different decision when Musetti recklessly kicked a ball given to him, accidentally hitting a line judge in the chest.
Although Musetti did not kick the ball overly hard and the line judge admirably did not make a significant fuss about the situation, many expected the Italian to be defaulted, as other players have been for hitting an umpire, line judge, or crowd member.
The umpire gave Musetti an unsportsmanlike conduct violation but took no further action. Tiafoe, despite looking somewhat bewildered by the decision, did not complain much and got on with playing.
His frustration about Musetti not being defaulted became more evident in the post-match press conference. Tiafoe called the umpire's decision comical and believes there is no consistency in how rules are applied.
"I mean, obviously, he did that and nothing happened. I think that's comical, but it is what it is. Nothing happened, so there's nothing really to talk about. Obviously it's not consistent, so it is what it is."
Unsurprisingly, Musetti was also asked about the incident. The 23-year-old admitted to being worried about a possible default, but felt that his hitting the line judge was unlucky and that the umpire made the right decision by giving a warning.
"Yeah, honestly it was really unlucky coincidence. Yeah, I was honestly scared, because I really didn't want to harm nobody, of course. So I immediately went to the line umpire, and I of course said, Sorry, I apologize to everyone."
"It was right to have a warning, but I think the umpire saw that there was no intention about that, and that's why probably just, you know, let me continue my game."
Musetti not being defaulted will undoubtedly be a polarizing issue in the coming days. Some point out how Novak Djokovic was defaulted at the 2020 US Open for accidentally hitting a line judge, even though he did not hit it with much force.
Djokovic's passionate fans on social media pointed out that the Serbian had not been treated the same way. It seems clear that the rule was not applied the same way, and both men should have been given the same punishment.
On the other hand, the lineswoman that Musetti hit was not hurt, and thousands of fans inside Court Philippe-Chatrier would have been furious if the umpire prematurely ended the match because of an accident.
Musetti is one of the nicest guys on the ATP Tour and would never mean to hit someone. He will need to be fully focused and avoid any accidents when facing Alcaraz. The Italian probably needs the best performance of his career to have a chance of winning.
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