Distressing scenes at Hungarian Grand Prix as Zhang Shuai retires in tears mid-match while crowd bashes her over disputed line call against local

Tennis veteran Zhang Shuai retired mid-match in tears after she found herself at the receiving end of ridicule from local fans over a disputed line call at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The WTA 250 event saw second seed Zhang Shuai take on local wildcard Amarissa Kiara Toth in the opening round on Tuesday, July 18. At 5-5 in the opening set, Zhang served in hopes of taking a 6-5 lead to secure herself at least a tiebreak opportunity. However, at 15-15 in the game, the 34-year-old hit a forehand crosscourt winner which the line umpire hesitantly called ‘out.’

Zhang was unconvinced by the call and asked the chair umpire to intervene and check the mark on the claycourt. The umpire obliged, and following an inspection, declared that the ball had landed out.

The former World No. 22, however, continued to express her disagreement with the decision and maintained that the ball had caught the line.

“What? No way! It’s on the line. No way. This? Oh my God! I need a referee. I need a supervisor,” she argued with the chair umpire.

“No way! This mark. It’s on the line. How can you tell me this was out?” she continued. “I trust you a 100% but, this ball… did you say this ball... is out?”

The umpire stood by the call and the match continued. Zhang Shuai was, however, subjected to locals’ ridicule following her outburst, as they sided with their home hope Amarissa Toth.

“Time violation,” somebody from the crowd screamed as Zhang approached the chair umpire to discuss the point yet again.

“Who’s that? Who’s that?” the Chinese asked in frustration while her opponent laughed.

Things took a turn for the worse as the three-time title winner’s opponent Toth interfered with the disputed mark, wiping it off the court at 30-30 in the game.

“Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait! Keep the mark. Keep the mark! What are you doing? Why did you do that? If the ball was out, why did she do it? Why?” a rattled Zhang screamed.

“Because you are making problems, that’s why,” Toth responded.

Moments later, the Hungarian player snatched the break to give herself a chance of closing out the set.

Zhang Shuai, who was visibly unsettled by the whole incident, called for a physio during the changeover and burst into tears. After a brief chat, the overwhelmed veteran retired from the match.

As she walked off the court, Toth started celebrating the unusual victory.

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Defeats continue to pile up for Zhang Shuai in 2023 with controversial exit from Hungarian Grand Prix

Zhang Shuai at the 2023 French Open

Zhang Shuai is currently going through a rough patch in singles. The two-time Grand Slam doubles champion hasn’t won a singles match since her second-round exit at the Lyon Open in early February. She has won only four other matches this year - all at the 2023 Australian Open.

The World No. 45 is currently on a 13-match losing streak, having failed in the opening round of all 12 tournaments following the Australian Open. She also incurred two other first-round losses in January, in Adelaide.

Due to her ongoing struggles, the two-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist was reduced to tears during her press conference after her 2023 French Open exit.