Controversial scenes emerge at Mallorca Open as Corentin Moutet erupts into fight with chair umpire

Corentin Moutet recently caused a controversial scene at the ongoing Mallorca Open. The Frenchman took up a fight with the chair umpire over a disputed point and penned a cryptic message on the camera after his win.

On Thursday, Moutet took on American youngster Learner Tien for his quarterfinals encounter in Mallorca. The 26-year-old got his match off to a strong start, claiming a 6-2 win in the first set. After the two players changed ends, Moutet crashed into the net before the ball’s second bounce during a rally, leading the chair umpire to award the point to Tien.

Corentin Moutet was unhappy with the decision and was quick to let his frustration show, arguing with the umpire and refusing to continue the match. While the Frenchman did eventually return to action, he continued his aggressive display, smashing his racket, which eventually led to a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Moutet went on to win the match 6-2, 7-5, and penned a message on the camera that read,

“When the rules begin, the human stops thinking.”

Corentin Moutet opens up on being ‘aggressive’ after Mallorca Open match

Moutet at the HSBC Championships (Image Source: Getty)

Corentin Moutet began his campaign at the Mallorca Open against home player Pedro Martinez. While he was down one set in the beginning, the World No.83 recovered quickly, clinching a 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 win. He then faced German eight seed Daniel Altmaier, who he beat 7-6(3), 7-6(3).

Up next, he squared off against Learner Tien. The youngster had already gotten the better of Moutet at their round of 32 clash at the Australian Open this year, and fans were excited for the rematch.

After his win over the American, Moutet praised Tien as he revealed the reason behind his aggressive gameplay, telling media,

"I was trying to stay aggressive. He's very good, he's not missing a lot. Very solid player. I lost earlier this year against him, so I knew that I had to be more aggressive today, serve better, and I managed to do it.”

Up next, Corentin Moutet will run into Alex Michelsen for his seminal match at the Mallorca Open. The duo have never played each other before, but Michelsen holds the upper hand in terms of ranking as he currently occupies the World No.33 spot. However, Moutet has already downed multiple higher ranked opponents this week, and it remains to be seen if he can repeat the feat against Michelsen to play his first final on grass courts.

Edited by Riddhi Acharya