The Rome Masters match between Camila Giorgi and Spain's Sorribes Tormo saw the chair umpire demand security against Giorgi’s father.
Follow Us
When it comes to Tennis matches, chair umpire often face a lot of heat from players. There have been exchanges in the past where players and chair umpires have had confrontations on the court. John McEnroe, Serena Williams and many other players have had heated outbursts on the court. However, in the 2021 WTA Rome Masters, there was one chair umpire who demanded security.
In a tweet that has gone viral, chair umpire Morgane Lara was heard calling the tournament office for back-up. “If it’s possible for you to stay around because Giorgi’s father is very mad. I would like to have someone,” she said. The matter became intense during the second set, when Giorgi became agitated at a number of calls. This included a decision to penalise her for a time violation on serve. In what was the longest women’s match of 2021, Sara Sorribes Tormo outlasted Camila Giorgi in three hours and 51 minutes, 7-6 6-7 7-5.
Omg, the umpire asked for someone to be around her because she's afraid of Giorgi's father because he's mad. This is insane! pic.twitter.com/LbDun41xB1
— LorenaPopa ?️♀️? (@popalorena) May 10, 2021
During the 2017 Wimbledon encounter, Giorgi faced Jelena Ostapenko in the fourth round. Although Ostapenko won in straight sets, the-then Roland Garros champion accused Giorgi’s father of intentionally tried to disrupt her serve by shouting and coughing during her service motion.
“It was just before my serve, somebody started to cough. I think it’s a little bit, how you say, unsportsmanlike. You’re in such a high level, and the tournament like Wimbledon, a Grand Slam, I think people have to understand where they are.” Ostapenko labelled the act gamesmanship and stated it was “pretty disappointing.”
In the recent past, Caroline Garcia and Sofia Kenin sacked their respective fathers as their coach. If one goes back in time, Jelena Dokic’s father Damir had a history of abusing players. In 2009, Dokic was sentenced to 15 months in prison for causing public danger and for the illegal possession of weapons after threatening the Australian ambassador to Serbia with a hand grenade.
The Rome Masters is one of the crucial WTA events for Tennis just before the start of the French Open.
