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Amarissa Kiara Toth's allegedly "unsportsmanlike conduct" against Zhang Shuai at the Hungarian Open became the talk of the tennis world on Wednesday, with several fans calling for sanctions against the 20-year-old for the way she acted.
Facing off against Zhang in the first round of the WTA 250 event, Toth was the benefactor of a disputed call from the chair umpire at a crucial juncture in the match -- 5-5 in the first set, with Zhang serving to take the lead. Zhang was of the opinion that the ball was in and she argued with the umpire before asking for the supervisor's intervention.
In the meantime, she wanted the ball mark on the claycourt to stay undisturbed. But at 30-30 Toth cleared the mark away, leaving the Chinese dumbfounded. After a lengthy argument with the chair umpire, accompanied by jeers from the Hungarian crowd who wanted their local favorite to win, Zhang lost her serve to go 5-6 down.
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At the changeover, the 34-year-old burst into tears and called for the physio. She then retired from the match, as a result of what was apparently a panic attack. Toth, meanwhile, celebrated her victory with gusto, supposedly unmoved by the fact that her opponent had burst into tears just moments earlier on the court.
The chain of events left fans on social media fuming, as Zhang is widely considered one of the most well-liked players on the tour. Moreover, the Chinese has had a hard time of late with her mental health, having not been able to enter her home country for nearly a decade.
Taking to Twitter, fans called out Amarissa Kiara Toth for her "disgusting" behavior as well as the chair umpire for failing to intervene appropriately. One fan was of the opinion that it was a sign of bigger things, like the rampant Sinophobia that's taking over the West.
"Sinophobia comes in all shapes and forms. It's s disgusting how this Chinese player was treated by the umpire, linesperson, the crowd and her opponent. This is not an accident but the direct result of sinophobic narrative pushed by the West," the fan said.
"Omfgggggg this is absolutely SICKENING. Disgusting from Toth who was laughing during the match and THAT CELEBRATION WITHIN A SECOND OF ZHANG RETIRING?!?!!!? I can’t," another fan wrote.
Here are a few more reactions from fans:
"I love you guys and all girls who supporting me and standing my side" - Zhang Shuai
Zhang Shuai took to social media after her defeat to address the incident, thanking her colleagues for coming to her defence immediately after the injustice. The Chinese also lamented the supposed unfairness of the call, writing:
"All efforts on practice was wrong , because when you wanted hitting closer to the line , even touched the line still OUT ….. I love you guys and all girls who supporting me and standing my side," Zhang said.
