(VIDEO) Shades of McEnroe and Medvedev as 13-year-old draws parallels after being disqualified for giving umpire middle finger
Tennis NewsSunday, 28 January 2024 at 11:30
Could say that John McEnroe and Daniil Medvedev are inspiring the next generation of tennis stars with a moment which gained some traction from Petit A's as 13-year-old William Repakis of Sweden got immediately disqualified for flipping off the chair umpire with a middle finger.
The Swedish talent took on home favourite Rafael Thao Keuang at the event and took the opening set 6-4. The match though took a controversial turn as Keuang struck a forehand which seemed to land in a section of the court where it would only be in during doubles. However the point was awarded to Keuang causing Repakis to have a frustrated outburst.
The 13-year-old gestured where the ball had landed, but the umpire stood by his decision and Repakis lost his cool flipping off the umpire and seeing his hard work in the opening set go to waste as he was soon disqualified. But users on social media including Reddit saw the funny side of the altercation.
"Med would be proud," a fan commented. "That is a hilariously bad call but I enjoyed the kid's John McEnroe impression," another fan shared in response to the clip. While others emphasised with the kid and took his point of view.
"I came here to say "good, teach the brats some discipline" but after looking at that replay goddamn how blind is the umpire, is he on the payroll of the other kids parents? This is atrocious," a user commented.
"Agreed. If you’re gonna get disqualified for flipping off, this was the kinda call that justifies it," another fan chimed in. While others called for the umpire themselves to be disqualified permanently, so overall a hilarious moment out of a poor decision from the umpire here. Shades of Medvedev and McEnroe indeed.
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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