Corentin Moutet’s opening match at the Madrid Open came to an abrupt end when he suddenly retired after receiving a point penalty. The Frenchman destroyed his racket after losing a point in the second set and was handed a code violation, losing a point as punishment. He refused to play on, walking to the net and shaking hands with both the umpire and his opponent.
Boos and whistles rang out around Court 6 as soon as the spectators realised he was throwing in the towel. It means fellow French star Harold Mayot advances with a 6-3 4-2 ret. victory, earning his first win at Masters 1000 level.
For better or worse, it’s never a dull day when Moutet is on the court. The world No. 82 is known for his antics – last month, an umpire had to step in when he started arguing with Alexander Bublik at the end of one of their Challenger matches.
The 26-year-old was also penalised when he delayed his recent Miami Open clash, demanding that a spectator be thrown out, and he was defaulted from a match in Adelaide three years ago.
There was more drama when he took to the court in Madrid on Wednesday, facing countryman Mayot, who made it into the main draw through qualifying.
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