Tennis|The Japanese tennis star threw balls into the crowd.
Japanese tennis star Yoshihito Nishioka completely lost his cool at the Cincinnati Masters on Thursday. Nishioka first received a point loss and then a game penalty for his tantrum.
Nishioka faced Poland, ranked fifth in the tournament Hubert Hurkaczin and won the opening set 6–3. Hurkacz took the second set after a tiebreaker and after that, things started to happen in the third set.
Nishioka got nervous after missing a serve early in the third set. In frustration, he hit the ball into the stands, asked for a new ball and hit it into the stands as well. The referee ordered a point loss for unsportsmanlike conduct.
When Hurkacz won the next ball, Nishioka again slammed the ball into the stands. The referee of the match adjudged Nishioka to lose the game. After this, Nishioka did not win any more games and lost the third set 1–6.
Nishioka explained tennis.comille after the match, that he was frustrated even before the tiebreaker of the second set, because he had missed several opportunities to break the opponent’s pass.
“When he broke my serve in the third set, I felt that he managed everything and nothing from me. I played quite well, but everything went to him, so that’s why I got frustrated.”
Now he apologizes for his behavior.
“I’m sorry to my fans. I played my best tennis until the second set. I hope I have some luck at the US Open.”
This wasn’t the first time Nishioka lost his temper in a tennis match.
For example, at last year’s French Open, he argued with the referee about his shot going wide and broke the rule that a player is not allowed to go to the opponent’s side to clarify the situation. Nishioka was sentenced to a point loss at that time as well.