ACAPULCO - German Olympic tennis champion Alexander Zverev has been expelled from the Mexican Open in Acapulco after smashing his racket on the umpire’s chair several times and directing a foul-mouthed rant at the official, the ATP announced Wednesday.
“Due to unsportsmanlike conduct at the conclusion of his doubles match on Tuesday night, Alexander Zverev has been withdrawn from the tournament in Acapulco,” the governing body for men’s tennis tweeted. Zverev -- ranked number three in the world -- lost his cool when he and doubles partner Marcelo Melo of Brazil were beaten 6-2, 4-6, 10-6 by Britain’s Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliövaara of Finland.
The 24-year-old defending champion smashed his racket three times just below umpire Alessandro Germani’s feet before taking his seat and then rising again to verbally abuse the official and smash the chair one last time. He had apparently been irked by a line call during the match.
Zverev had been involved in a marathon first-round singles clash with American Jenson Brooksby that had finished early Tuesday morning -- the latest-ever finish to a professional tennis match. Zverev saved two match points before completing a 3-6, 7-6 (12/10), 6-2 win at 4:54 am local time (1054 GMT). The first-round tie at the ATP event lasted three hours and 19 minutes.
NADAL WINS ACAPULCO OPENER IN FIRST MATCH SINCE SLAM TITLE
Rafael Nadal made a triumphant return to the ATP Tour on Tuesday, winning his first tournament match since capturing the Australian Open title to reach the second round of the Mexican Open.
The 35-year-old Spanish left-hander defeated US lucky loser Dennis Kudla 6-3, 6-2 to book a date with another American who advanced in similar fashion, Nadal practice partner Stefan Kozlov, in the last 16. Nadal won his men’s record 21st Grand Slam title at last month’s Australian Open, breaking the career mark he had shared with Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.
World number five Nadal broke 100th-ranked Kudla in the fourth game for a 3-1 lead and held from there to claim the first set of their first career meeting. When Kudla sent a forehand long to surrender the first break of the second set, Nadal seized a 2-1 lead and held at love to 3-1.
Nadal broke again for a 4-1 edge and held twice more, claiming the victory on a forehand winner after one hour and 16 minutes. Nadal fired eight aces and won 36 of 40 points on his serve in the dominating outing. The Spaniard seeks his 91st career ATP title and third of the year, having also won a Slam tuneup tournament at Melbourne.
Russian top seed Daniil Medvedev, the reigning US Open champion whom Nadal rallied to beat in five sets in the Australian Open final, began his Acapulco run with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Frenchman Benoit Paire.
“Due to unsportsmanlike conduct at the conclusion of his doubles match on Tuesday night, Alexander Zverev has been withdrawn from the tournament in Acapulco,” the governing body for men’s tennis tweeted. Zverev -- ranked number three in the world -- lost his cool when he and doubles partner Marcelo Melo of Brazil were beaten 6-2, 4-6, 10-6 by Britain’s Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliövaara of Finland.
The 24-year-old defending champion smashed his racket three times just below umpire Alessandro Germani’s feet before taking his seat and then rising again to verbally abuse the official and smash the chair one last time. He had apparently been irked by a line call during the match.
Zverev had been involved in a marathon first-round singles clash with American Jenson Brooksby that had finished early Tuesday morning -- the latest-ever finish to a professional tennis match. Zverev saved two match points before completing a 3-6, 7-6 (12/10), 6-2 win at 4:54 am local time (1054 GMT). The first-round tie at the ATP event lasted three hours and 19 minutes.
NADAL WINS ACAPULCO OPENER IN FIRST MATCH SINCE SLAM TITLE
Rafael Nadal made a triumphant return to the ATP Tour on Tuesday, winning his first tournament match since capturing the Australian Open title to reach the second round of the Mexican Open.
The 35-year-old Spanish left-hander defeated US lucky loser Dennis Kudla 6-3, 6-2 to book a date with another American who advanced in similar fashion, Nadal practice partner Stefan Kozlov, in the last 16. Nadal won his men’s record 21st Grand Slam title at last month’s Australian Open, breaking the career mark he had shared with Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.
World number five Nadal broke 100th-ranked Kudla in the fourth game for a 3-1 lead and held from there to claim the first set of their first career meeting. When Kudla sent a forehand long to surrender the first break of the second set, Nadal seized a 2-1 lead and held at love to 3-1.
Nadal broke again for a 4-1 edge and held twice more, claiming the victory on a forehand winner after one hour and 16 minutes. Nadal fired eight aces and won 36 of 40 points on his serve in the dominating outing. The Spaniard seeks his 91st career ATP title and third of the year, having also won a Slam tuneup tournament at Melbourne.
Russian top seed Daniil Medvedev, the reigning US Open champion whom Nadal rallied to beat in five sets in the Australian Open final, began his Acapulco run with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Frenchman Benoit Paire.
