SUMMARY
- Corentin Moutet was given a strong warning by the fans at the Chile Open after his match against Nicolas Jarry.
- Moutet felt he had not done anything wrong to be treated so rudely by the crowd.
The 26th edition of the Chile Open has seen the top seeds failing to justify their rankings on the tour. While five seeded players made it into the quarterfinals in Chile, only two of them progressed to the semifinals. The first quarterfinal match featured Nicolas Jarry Fillol and Corentin Moutet. The crowd turned hostile after the match as it was not happy with the result.
Jarry faced an unexpected defeat at the hands of Moutet. The crowd started booing against the Frenchmen, but he started clapping and thanking them sarcastically. Moutet said that he had been called “pathetic” by his opponent. He said, “There were so many people against me, booing, making noise when I was serving. So I think I didn’t do anything pathetic.” Jarry seemed angry at Moutet after the match.
Saludo tenso, celebración a lo Djokovic. Así terminó el Jarry vs Moutet en el Chile Open. pic.twitter.com/DdxJHGpyND
— Séptimo Game (@Septimo_Game) March 2, 2024
The top seed at Chile was seen saying a few words to Moutet at the net during the handshake. Jarry was the defending champion at the event, as his defeat disappointed the crowd. He was the home favorite, while Moutet was the villain in the event. The crowd got their revenge as Chilean Alejandro Tabilo defeated Mouted in the semifinals.
Alejandro Tabilo is hoping for the crowd to do the trick at the Chile Open final
The finals of the Chile Open will take place on March 4. The finalists have been confirmed after 26 matches were completed this week under questionable conditions. Home favorite Tabilo will face Sebastian Baez in the final at Santiago. It will be the second meeting between both players on the tour. The 26-year-old had won their first meeting in the quarterfinals at Cordoba two years ago.
Baez is playing at Santiago for the fourth time. He had reached the semifinals last season and was the finalist in the 2022 edition. Meanwhile, it is Tabilo’s fifth appearance at the Chile Open and had reached the semifinals in 2022. He has won the doubles title with Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera and can become the second player since Jose Acasuso in 2006 to lift the trophy twice in a single edition.
¡TENEMOS FINAL! 😍🏆
Alejandro Tabilo y Sebastián Báez protagonizarán la última ronda del Movistar Chile Open 2024 🎾. @atptour | @ATPTour_ES pic.twitter.com/BQXkSM8RSb
— Chile Open (@chile_open) March 3, 2024
The world No.51 can re-enter the top 50 of the rankings if he beats Baez in the final. The Argentine is on an eight-match winning streak and is the favorite to win the title. But Tabilo can vouch for the crowd to motivate him during the match. He will be eager to win his first clay court in front of the home crowd.