WATCH: Controversial scenes at Indian Wells as heated argument ensues between Christopher O'Connell and Roberto Carballes Baena at the net after 1R

Christopher O'Connell and Roberto Carballes Baena had a fiery argument at the net after the latter's first-round loss at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells on Wednesday, March 5. O'Connell and Carballes Baena faced each other for the second time on the ATP Tour, with the former claiming a 6-3, 0-6, 6-1 victory to move into the second round.

The match became intense when Carballes Baena clashed with Christopher O'Connell for seeking assistance from the physical therapist during a medical timeout for neck discomfort. The Spaniard reportedly said:

"Are you okay now? Earlier, you couldn’t serve and took an MTO," implying frustration over O’Connell’s ability to continue playing strongly after receiving treatment.

O’Connell firmly replied:

"Am I not allowed to take treatment from the physio?"

The game continued and the players exchanged a suspenseful rally. O'Connell won the match after Baena made a shot that fell outside the baseline.

The players had a heated argument during their handshake at the net for 10-15 seconds, initiated by Baena. The Spaniard has had a reputation for arguing with his opponents after losing a match. It has yet to be discovered what words they have used in their conversation.

Watch the video here:

O'Connell tied his head-to-head with Baena at 1-1. They played each other in the first round of the 2024 Italian Open where Baena was given a walkover win after O'Connell retired during the second set.

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Christopher O'Connell will meet Matteo Berrettini in Indian Wells 2R

In Picture: Christopher O'Connell in action during Indian Wells (Source: Getty)

Christopher O'Connell advanced to the BNP Paribas Open second round for the second straight year, where he will take on 28th-seeded Matteo Berrettini. The Italian tennis star will be making his sixth Indian Wells appearance and received a bye into the second round.

Berrettini is coming fresh off his Dubai Tennis Championships campaign, where he defeated Gael Monfils and O'Connell before losing to eventual champion Stefano Tsitsipas in the quarterfinals.

This will be their third meeting at the ATP Tour, with Berrettini having a dominant head-to-head record against O'Connell, 2-0. They first met in the Shanghai Masters first round, where the Italian won 7-6(9), 7-6(6). Their latest matchup was in Dubai, where Berrettini defeated O'Connell 7-6(2), 6-2.

The winner of this match will take on either Thiago Seyboth Wild or eighth-seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the third round.