"You are a joke," Holger Rune attacks the umpire in the match with Djokovic

The Dane didn't like a decision by the chair umpire

MAY 18, 2023 10:45

"You are a joke," Holger Rune attacks the umpire in the match with Djokovic *(Provided by Tennis World USA)*

The match between Novak Djokovic and Holger Rune, temporarily suspended due to the rain, suddenly flared up in the central part of the second set. The Dane, with a score of 2-3 (30-40), disputed the decision taken by the chair umpire.

Mohamed Lahyani judged the ball good that would have closed the important game; ball actually gone just a little according to the replay shown on television. Rune thus accused the referee and started a new dispute with the public, who booed him for the blatant protest.

The Dane ended up losing the game and handing the break to Djokovic. The Serbian then did not take advantage of the opportunity to take the match to the third set, but he is ahead 0-30 on 5-4. Rune said to Lahyani: "It's always the chair umpire that makes me look like a bad boy.

Listen to me, listen to me. You are a joke. Are you being punished for your mistakes? Answer my question. When we make a mistake, we get a fine; not you. So you have to respect the players. He's an absolute joke, this gentleman is a joke.

He's the referee who makes me look like a bad boy, always the referee." Rune then recovered the break lead, but he will have to manage a rather complicated situation when he resumes the match. The Dane is down 0-30 and is serving to stay in the set and not extend the match.

Forecasts do not promise anything positive; the match could be characterized by a long break. Casper Ruud will challenge Holger Rune to try and earn a place in the final at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia. The Norwegian reached for the third time out of four editions played - in 2021 he did not play the Italian tournament, the semifinals at the Masters 1000 in Rome by beating Francisco Cerundolo, Jannik's executioner 7-6(5), 6-4 Sinner in the round of 16.

For the first time, however, Ruud won't have to deal with Novak Djokovic in the penultimate act of the Roman event. In fact, the Serbian prevented him from winning the final on two occasions.