Chinese tennis player Zhang Shuai retired from a match in tears after a tense incident with Amarissa Toth at the Hungarian Grand Prix saw Toth use her foot to erase a contested ball mark from the court.
In Tuesday’s opening set, Zhang hit a crosscourt forehand that appeared to land on the line, with a line judge and later an umpire calling the ball out.
Though the match continued for another point, the disputed call remained a sore point, and Zhang continued to question the decision.
As Zhang, ranked 28th, pleaded for the decision to be reconsidered, Toth walked up to the mark on the court and rubbed it away with her foot, video shows.
Zhang can be heard questioning Toth on her actions, asking “What are you doing?” as the Hungarian player walks away.
Video shows the stressed Zhang asking, “Why did you do that?” as Toth retorts, “You’re making problems.”
A tearful Zhang opted to retire from the match, where she was trailing 6-5 in the opening set. Zhang later posted a video of the incident to her social media, thanking those who have supported her.
A number of tennis players decried Toth’s actions, with Australia’s Ajla Tomljanović criticizing Toth’s actions as “absolutely disgusting behaviour.”
“Shuai is a better person than a lot of us for shaking the ref and that girl’s hand,” Tomljanovic wrote on Twitter.
Two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka tweeted that the actions by Toth were “another level of unsportsmanlike conduct … Just wow.”
Meanwhile, Australian Ellen Perez called out “the level of disrespect” and adding, “Well that’s a quick way to lose respect from your peers.”