The Shanghai Masters has barely begun and yet it has already witnessed drama in the qualifying rounds. Marc Polmans from Australia was disqualified on the spot after he hit the chair umpire in the face. Polmans’ compatriot Nick Kyrgios also chimed in with his two cents on the issue.
A player reacting angrily after missing a shot is a common sight in tennis. However, Marc’s reaction earned him an instant disqualification in Shanghai. The Australian was on match point when he missed the volley his opponent, Stefano Napolitano sent his way.
Polmans was leading 7-6 (7-3), 6-6 (6-5) at the time of the incident. He was close to making it to the main draw of the tournament with a straight sets victory. However, during the tie-break, Polmans dumped the ball into the net, which saw the scores being tied at 6-6. In his anger, Polmans struck the ball in the air, which accidentally hit the umpire, Ben Anderson, in the face.
🚨 DISQUALIFICATION 🚨
Marc Polmans missed a volley on match point at 7-6(3), 6-6 (6-5) and then accidentally hit the umpire.
Stefano Napolitano advances to the main draw in Shanghai as a result.pic.twitter.com/9izXBA1BOl
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) October 3, 2023
Marc had an opportunity to make it to the main draw of a tournament for the first time in his career. Instead, he got disqualified, which means he stands to lose his prize money and ranking points.
Kyrgios, who is quite active online, took to social media to react to the incident. The Australian wondered what fine Polmans would receive. “All things considered (15 thousand pounds) for the bottle shake at queens,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Interested to see what the fine will be 😂 all things considered (15 thousand pounds) for the bottle shake at queens 🫨 https://t.co/oqfLhW8LMz
— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) October 3, 2023
Nick Kyrgios is no stranger to getting fined for his on-court conduct. In fact, he earned his nickname as the ‘Bad Boy’ of tennis due to his actions on the court.
Nick Kyrgios has a history of unsportsmanlike conduct
The Australian star has a reputation for his unsportsmanlike behavior. He has abused his racket, spectators, and even umpires in his career so far. It goes as far back as his first year on the tour, when he was playing at the Australian Open as a 19-year-old.
Kyrgios was caught hurling abuses and at one point, he even smashed his racket on the court. He was eventually fined $4,926 for racket abuse and audible obscenities. That same year at Wimbledon, Kyrgios got a warning for code of conduct. He had smashed his racket so hard that it flew into the stands.
Nick’s biggest punishment came during the Roger’s Cup in Canada, for his comments on Stan Wawrinka’s relationship. He was fined $10,000 for his comments and an additional $2,500 for his comments at a ball person.
Kyrgios lost his cool at the Italian Open in 2019, against Jannik Sinner. The umpire gave him a point penalty for abusing a fan. Nick then proceeded to smash his racket and throw his chair on the court.
NSFW: Nick Kyrgios absolutely loses it at the Italian Open 😳
(via @andreopines) pic.twitter.com/TabwYNlonv
— SI Tennis (@SI_Tennis) May 16, 2019
Nick Kyrgios is not a stranger to fines for his behavior during a match. The temperamental Aussie has been on the sidelines this year due to his injuries and is planning to return in 2024.