Home/Tennis
feature-image

via Reuters

feature-image

via Reuters

Huge controversy ensued on the tennis courts of St. Petersburg Open after Belarusian tennis player Ilya Ivashka was given multiple penalties in his round one tie against Adrian Mannarino. Ivashka was seen and heard shouting and swearing at both the tournament supervisor and the chair umpire.

article-image

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

The whole situation went downhill when Ivashka took a toilet break in the second set. It was during the changeover time at 3-2, when Ivashka was attended by a doctor and asked to leave the court due to an emergency. But the chair umpire didn’t call it a medical timeout and asked Ivashka to come back as soon as possible. With Ivashka taking a lot of time to return to the court, the chair umpire and the supervisor had a long discussion.

“You need to be as fast as possible, you do it on your own time,” the chair umpire said.

Upon returning to the court and knowing the situation, Ivashka pleaded his innocence and argued with the officials. Ivashka said that he had asked for a medical timeout. But the chair empire clarified that medical timeout cannot be used for a bathroom break.

“I wasn’t on my own time, I asked for a medical,” Ivashka said

“Medical timeout can’t be used to go to a bathroom,” replied the chair umpire.

With the chair umpire firm with the rules, Ivashka was frustrated and was shouting at the supervisor. Even after the chair umpire warned him of a game penalty, Ivashka wasn’t backing out. He had a long argument with the supervisor repeatedly asking about the rule and his situation.

“I follow the rules,” chair umpire said.

“But which rules? This is not normal. How can this be possible? They wanna take my game. Game penalty for going out to the toilet! I’m not gonna play because this is something ridiculous,” Ivashka said.

Belarusian Tennis Player Ilya Ivashka shouts at the chair umpire and the tournament supervisor

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Ivashka was now shouting with the supervisor disinterested. And then the chair umpire announced a lengthy statement of code violations against Ivashka. In the end, Ivashka got away with a game penalty.

“Code violation delay of game qarning Mr. Ivashka, code violation Ddlay of game point penalty Mr. Ivashka, code violation delay of game penalty Mr. Ivashka,” the chair umpire announced.

“Nobody told me f**king anything,” Ivashka shouted at the chair umpire after receiving the penalty

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Ivashka in the end won the match. When he got the game penalty he was trailing the second set 4-2. But he eventually covered the lost ground and won the match in straight sets.

Read MoreRoger Federer Edges Rafael Nadal in GOAT Points According to Tennis Legend Boris Becker

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT