Hungarian player Amarissa Toth, whose ‘disgusting’ act during her Budapest Open match against Zhang Shuai shocked the tennis world, has denied that her behavior was inappropriate.
Zhang, the former world number 22, retired from the clay court match in tears after a controversial line call wiped the mark off a 20-year-old ball.
The 34-year-old hit a crosscourt forehand that appeared to land on the line, only for the umpire to wave the shot out.
The Chinese tennis player argued with the umpire and called the tournament supervisor for several minutes while being jeered and jeered by the crowd, and Toth laughed at Shuai as he became increasingly frustrated.
The match resumed shortly before the brawl continued, with Toth erasing the marks on the ground to Zhang’s disapproval.
Amarisa Toth has denied she misbehaved in her highly controversial match against Zhang Shuai at the Budapest Open.
The world number 45 broke down in tears after the Laine dispute and was unable to take the court
The 20-year-old deliberately tore off Zhang’s mark on the ball as she continued to talk to the umpire about overturning the call.
Zhang yelled at his opponent to ‘mark!’ Before adding: ‘What are you doing? Why would you do that?’
Toth replied: ‘Because you’re causing trouble, that is.’
While Zhang won the next game, his pain forced him to call his physio and led to his retirement, with commentators describing how the experience left the player ‘in floods of tears’ and possibly suffering a ‘panic attack’.
But Toth was unapologetic for his actions when asked about the match on Radio Kossuth.
“I don’t understand why he made such a fuss about wanting to override the referee’s decision,” said the Hungarian player. ‘I don’t understand why he didn’t accept it, but he suffered for himself’.
Tournament communications manager Eric Siklos chose instead to draw attention to the crowd’s behavior towards Toth, when Hungarian broadcaster MTI was dragged into the matter, noting that the player was heckled and called out by ‘several people from the Chinese team’ when he removed the sign. was done ‘disrespectful’.
The ball appeared to leave a visible mark on the line before being rubbed by Toth’s boot
After retiring from the match, Zhang shook hands with both the umpire and Toth before leaving the Romai TennisAcademia court, where Toth threw his arms in celebration to the applause of his fans.
Tuth will face Katerina Bendl in the second round of the competition, where Zhang’s 13-match losing streak continues.
As video clips of the highly controversial match circulated on social media, many tennis stars rallied around the veteran player, with many calling for swift punishment for Toth.
World No 9 Maria Sakkari claimed Toth ‘should be banned from the tour’, while Daria Kasatkina highlighted ‘very bad refereeing and very bad sportsmanship’.
Ajla Tomljanovic posted: ‘Absolutely disgusting behaviour. Shuai is a better person than most of us to shake hands with the ref and that girl. But then again, this is Shuai we’re talking about, of course he did.’
Daria Saville, who was beaten by British No 1 Katie Boulter at Wimbledon, added: ‘Zero respect for this toth girl. Zero! I am so so mad. I feel so bad for Shuai. Toth “wins” this point and “wins” this match but his reputation is ruined.’
Wimbledon finalist Ounce Jabeur expressed his sympathy for the player, saying: All the support for Shuai (heart emoji) is unacceptable.’
Zhang took to Twitter to thank those who supported him and share his thoughts on the call, writing: ‘All attempts at practice were wrong, because when you wanted to hit close to the line, even touching the line was out.
Zhang thanked fans and peers for their support, which came from high profile stars including Once Jabeur and Alja Tomljanovic.
‘I love you and all the girls who support me and stand by me.’
The world No.45 has previously been outspoken about his struggles with mental health, and has been particularly affected by the recent death of his grandparents.
While at Wimbledon, where she fell in the first round of singles against Donna Vecic, but reached the doubles semi-finals with partner Caroline Dolehide, Zhang told a reporter: ‘After my grandparents died, I started thinking about the meaning of life. . I am 34 and have played tennis for 29 years. I tried my best but everyone has their limits. I feel deeply exhausted, especially mentally. I miss Chinese food in China.’
Fans also weighed in on Toth’s behavior on social media, with one calling his actions ‘a new low for the player’.
Who are the players involved?
Zhang Shuai
Shuai, 34, who has spent more than a decade in the sport, is a two-time major champion in women’s doubles after claiming victory at the Australian Open in 2019 and the US Open two years later. Both of these wins came alongside fellow Australian Samantha Stosur.
The Chinese star reached the Wimbledon final in 2022 alongside Belgium’s Elise Mertens, only to be beaten by Alexa Guarachi and Andreja Klepac.
Her career-high doubles ranking is No. 2 in the world and she has won 12 titles on the WTA tour.
As a singles player, Shuai reached two major quarterfinals at the Australian Open in 2016 and Wimbledon three years later. He is one of only five Chinese tennis players in history to reach this stage of a Grand Slam and is ranked world No. 22.
Amarisa Toth
Toth, 20, is just a few years into her professional career after making her WTA Tour main-drew debut at the Budapest Grand Prix in 2021.
She has career high rankings of 534 in singles and 264 in doubles, and has claimed 12 ITF circuit finals titles – 11 of which have come in doubles.
The Hungarian youngster’s highest-ranked win to date came at the 2022 Slovak Open, where she got the better of Germany’s Eva Lies in the first round.
Toth’s behavior during the match was widely criticized by fans and players online
Zhang previously discussed her mental health struggles at Wimbledon following the death of her grandparents