TENNIS is no stranger when it comes to heated player-official confrontations, usually resulting in huge fines, or in rare cases disqualifications. However few past exchanges could hold a candle to the expletive-laden rant Frances Tiafoe directed at chair umpire Jimmy Pinoargote at the Shanghai Masters overnight.

The Ecuadorian official was at the centre of Tiafoe’s wrath after calling timewasting on the American at a crucial point in the deciding set tiebreaker during the world number 16’s loss to Russian Roman Safiullin. The point in question happened with Tiafoe serving at 5-5 and both players just two points away from advancing to the fourth round.

The 13th seed tossed the ball up to serve and like can be the case in just about every match, mistimed the toss. He prepared to do it again, before umpire Pinoargote called timewasting docked Tiafoe his first serve. Visibly frustrated at the time, Tiafoe questioned the call citing the rules, before taking his second serve.

Safiullin – the world number 61 – went on to hit a passing shot winner against Tiafoe on that point and brought up match point, before delivering on serve to win the contest 5-7 7-5 7-6 in a three-hour and four-minute epic match at the ATP 1000 event.

The timing of the violation – just moments earlier – was front of mind for Tiafoe as he shook Safiullin’s hand at the net. However rather than the customary handshake with umpire Pinoargote, he produced one of the most expletive-filled deliveries seen in recent years.

“F*** you man, f*** you, seriously man, f*** you,” Tiafoe said, completely walking past the official. But he was not done. “You f***ed me the f****ing match. F***ing piece of s***.”

The tirade made for an awkward moment for Safiullin who had to wait for Tiafoe to cross in front of him and go to his chair before shaking Pionargote’s hand and walking to his own seat. It left an ill-feeling in the wake of what had been an incredible contest.

If anyone though Tiafoe was done, then they were wrong.

“You’ve got three f***ing hours and you’re really gonna do that? Why? Why? all these guys are enjoying entertainment and you f*** the match up. Great f***ing job. F***k. Three f***ing hours. Only three f***ing hours I’m out here battling, only for my livelihood.

“You’ll be on a f***ing blacklist on my mattress, never again. “Literally had it out for me today, f***ing insane.”

However upon reflection once he had cooled down, Tiafoe admitted he had let his emotions do the talking and regretted his actions.

“I am deeply sorry for how I behaved tonight,” he said in an Instagram post. “That is not who I am or how I like to treat people. My frustration got the best of me in the moment, I am extremely disappointed in how I handled the situation. It is unacceptable behavior and I want to apologise to the chair umpire, the tournament, and the fans. I will do better.”

No doubt Tiafoe will come under massive scrutiny for the rant, with a heavy fine predicted for the rant, and the loss of ATP Tour points from the tournament another possible measure. It marked a sour end to the entertaining clash on Grandstand 2, which saw Safiullin produced 17 aces and win 79 per cent of his first serve points compared to Tiafoe’s 68 per cent.

The Russian will now go on to face former world number one Novak Djokovic in the Round of 16 after the Serbian fourth speed completely dismantled Italian Flavio Cobolli in just 63 minutes, 6-1 6-2. Incredibly, Tiafoe’s tirade was not the only exchange between a player and umpire overnight.

Unlike the usually mild mannered Tiafoe, German Alexander Zverev has never been far from controversy on and off the court, and he too had his own exchange with well-renowned Swedish umpire Mohamed Lahyani when Lahyani called a double bounce against Zverev during his match with Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor.

“How are you calling that? How on earth are you calling that? I got the ball completely. You guys are f***ing up the whole tournament this year. (Chair umpire) Carlos Bernades completely messed up Stan’s (Wawrinka) match, the guy who did Tiafoe’s match completely messed up Tiafoe’s match and now this.”

However upon replay, it was an indisputable double bounce, not that Zverev was able to see that before losing the game in question at 5-6 in the first set. The German then made a bizarre claim blaming the umpires for never winning a Grand Slam final.

“Every Grand Slam final I play, I lose because of you guys,” he said. Zverev has lost the 2020 US Open – when two sets to love up before going down to Dominic Thiem, and this year’s French Open to Carlos Alcaraz when two sets to one up.

“Every grand slam final I play I lose because of you guys” (referring to the 2 he played nearly 4 years part at US Open and RG ) says Zverev as he thinks he got the ball in one bounce.

The replay shows it was very clearly a double bounce. pic.twitter.com/OYjZYleqBc

— TennisONE App (@TennisONEApp) October 8, 2024

Funnily enough, Zverev went on to win the match against Griekspoor in two hours and 48 minutes – including the first set in question, 7-6 2-6 7-6. The second seed now takes on Belgian David Goffin in the Round of 16.

In other results that were less controversial, American duo Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton, Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, Greek talent Stefanos Tsitsipas and young Dane Holger Rune all booked their place in the Round of 16. Czech pair Tomas Machac and Jakub Mensik also got up, while veteran Gael Monfils won the all-French battle against Ugo Humbert.