China’s Zhang Shuai left her Hungarian Grand Prix game on Tuesday in tears after her local opponent Amarissa Toth erased a ball mark on the clay court following a disputed line call.
Second seed Zhang hit a crosscourt forehand that seemed to drop on the line but was ruled out by the line judge. The chair umpire then came down to inspect the mark and confirmed that the ball had fallen outside the line.
The call upset Zhang and she asked to speak with the tournament supervisor.
The match went on for one more point, but the argument about the disputed call went on until Toth walked up to the mark and erased it with her shoes.
Watch the video here!
“Wait, wait, wait! Keep the mark,” Zhang yelled. “What are you doing? Why would you do that?”
During the changeover, Zhang looked visibly upset and a physio was called to check on her before the world number 28 chose to retire while behind 6-5 in the opening set of their round of 32 match in Budapest.
The home crowd booed Zhang’s retirement, however, Toth shook her hand and raised her arms in celebration.
Watch the video here!
Zhang later took to her Instagram account to express her disappointment with the call and to appreciate those who supported her.
On social media, fellow players quickly criticised the Hungarian’s behaviour. “Absolutely disgusting behaviour,” Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic wrote on Twitter. “Shuai is a better person than a lot of us for shaking the ref and that girl’s hand.”