Latest news with #CorentinMoutet
Telegraph
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Telegraph
Tennis player calls umpire a ‘f---ing t---' at Queen's
French tennis maverick Corentin Moutet shocked the well-heeled fans at Queen's Club with a furious meltdown as he lost his second-round match against Britain's Jacob Fearnley. Moutet appeared to swear at chair umpire Adel Nour as part of an extended rant towards the end of his 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 defeat. The world No 89 is renowned for being one of the spicier characters on the circuit, as well as a creative genius with a wide range of drop shots and ingenious tricks at his disposal. He was unhappy with Nour during the final changeover of the match. He had just been docked a first serve for a second time violation, which followed an earlier warning for ball abuse when he smacked a ball clean out of the stadium. Marching up to the chair at 2-5 in the deciding set, Moutet told Nour: 'Saying time violations, it is your only job. I am talking to you because I have three balls in my hand. Then you give me a time violation and you say, 'Don't talk to me'. What is wrong with you? With your Rolex.' He then appeared to call the umpire a f---ing t---, half under his breath, before returning to his seat and carrying on with: 'I am running every day for three hours and you are telling me what I have to do. It's crazy. This guy's crazy! Killing me every day.' When it comes to run-ins with players and officials, Moutet is a repeat offender. He was defaulted from a match in Adelaide in 2022 for saying 'f--- you' to an umpire, and lost his funding from the French Tennis Federation after another incident in the same season in which he and his opponent Adrian Andreev started pushing each other on the court. @ 🎥 Twitter/Imad__26 🎾 Corentin Moutet and Adrian Andreev almost had a fight. #tennis #tennislegend #tennistiktok #tennisvideo #tennisplayer #tennisfun #tennislife #tennismatch #tennistournament #tennisfans #corentinmoutet #moutet ♬ Then, in Arizona in March, the chair umpire had to separate Moutet from another opponent – this time Alexander Bublik – after they argued about whether Moutet was ready to receive serve or not. In the middle of that imbroglio, Bublik asked: 'You want to fight?' @justballtennis What happened here? Things getting really spicy between Bublik and Moutet! 👀 ( 📷: @gabrielbuck_art) #tennis #tennisplayers #tennispro #bublik #moutet #angrytennis #fight #tennismatch #rivalry #tennisfans ♬ original sound - JustBall Tennis The BBC, which is running live coverage of Queen's, did not feel the need to apologise for Moutet's swear words on Thursday, perhaps because it was not projected with quite the same volume as the rest of his outburst. Neither did Moutet receive a fine from tournament officials. But commentators John Lloyd and Sam Smith could not help chuckling over Moutet's behaviour. 'The longer Corentin stays out here the more trouble he can get himself into,' Smith said, after the rant. 'He's lost it,' chimed Lloyd. ''This guy's crazy?' Look in the mirror.' Fearnley showed great composure amid the chaos to close out his win, which earned him his first trip to an ATP quarter-final. 'I never thought I would be in these moments,' said a delighted Fearnley. 'I still can't quite believe it.' With regard to Moutet's tantrum, Fearnley added: 'I played Corentin before, and yeah, I kind of know that's what he's going to do. He's going to get angry. He's going to talk to the ref. So when he was doing it, it wasn't really a surprise.' Alcaraz wins longest match in 34 years Moutet was not the only player at Queen's who fell foul of an umpire's timekeeping. Around halfway through his three-set win over Jaume Munar, world No 2 Carlos Alcaraz received a time violation and replied that he had not had enough opportunity to dry his hands on his towel between points. The contest between Munar and Alcaraz became out the longest match to be played at Queen's in 34 years. Their struggle lasted 3hr 23min before Alcaraz floated a delicious backhand lob over the net-rushing Munar to seal his 6-4, 6-7, 7-5 victory. Really, Alcaraz should have been back in the locker room an hour earlier. He held match point on his own serve at 6-4 in the second-set tie-break, only to double-fault and invite the persevering Munar back into the contest. But then, this is exactly the sort of outing that Alcaraz often seems to struggle with. While nobody could compare the plush lawns of Queen's Club to the proverbial wet Wednesday night at Stoke – especially in light of the baking sun – there was a sense of a foregone conclusion about the match-up. Munar arrived with a grass-court win ratio of just 27 per cent. Afterwards, Alcaraz alluded to the lengthy, baseline-dominated nature of the rallies as he took a pen and decorated the camera lens with the words '3hr 30: were we on clay?'
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
The Jacob Fearnley train continues at speed as British No 2 seals career-first at Queen's
Jacob Fearnley is through to his first ATP quarter-final at Queen's (Getty) Be honest. A year ago, had you heard of current British No 2 Jacob Fearnley? The 23-year-old from Edinburgh, a product of Texas Christian University's impressive tennis programme, travelled back to Britain for the grass court season last June ranked a lowly 525 in the world. Even he would not have forecast the 12 months ahead. In fact, his big break – a seven-match surge to victory at the challenger-level Nottingham Trophy – almost didn't even get going. He only made the qualifying draw as an alternate and won his first match narrowly in a final-set tie-break. But Fearnley has not rested on his laurels, capitalising on his big break at some speed. Advertisement And the Fearnley train continued at pace at Queen's Club on Thursday with another new milestone: a first ATP tour quarter-final. Dressed in all-black – a curious choice you might say, given the 32C sunshine in west London – the Scot rallied and kept his head above the wizardry, tomfoolery and profanity of Corentin Moutet to seal a last-eight berth in three sets, 6-3, 2-6, 6-2. 'I'm very happy to be in my first quarter-final and it's even better to do it here in London,' he said, on-court, afterwards. 'I've dreamed of those moments, to be standing here on this amazing court in front of these amazing fans. It's really special.' Beyond his Nottingham success last June – which in effect secured him a Wimbledon wild card and a Grand Slam debut – Fearnley first entered the public consciousness when he took on Novak Djokovic in the second round on Centre Court. A dream occasion, a mere six weeks after his US college finale, Fearnley did not look overawed and stretched the 24-time major winner to four sets. From there, Fearnley's stratospheric rise through the rankings continued. He won three challenger titles on the spin – 15 matches in a row – to leap into the top-100 by the end of 2024. This year, he reached the third round at both the Australian Open and French Open and made his Davis Cup debut in Japan, defeating Grand Slam finalist Kei Nishikori. Advertisement He has taken everything in his stride with an understated, steely demeanour. While this persona might not seem too indifferent to Scotland's most famous tennis son, his composed existence on the court is in contrast to Andy Murray's regular outbursts of emotion. Beyond his heavy-hitting, quick-moving, all-court game, Fearnley's greatest strength appears to be his self-control. A quality of staying tranquil, when the pressure is sky-high. All the more so when Thursday's second round clash against Moutet – the unorthodox, short-tempered Frenchman – presented a golden opportunity to reach a first quarter-final, in his 12th tour-level tournament. While the left-handed Moutet did knock out world No 4 Taylor Fritz in the opening round, Fearnley could sniff the opportunity and started out like a man on a mission. The British No 2 kept his composure to prevail in three sets (Getty Images for LTA) A quick break ahead straight away, the 23-year-old's solidity off both wings matched up well to Moutet's slice-heavy, variety-enthused array of enthralling shot-making. When the Frenchman is on fire, it's captivating. When he's not, he's quick to lose his cool. Advertisement Fearnley took the opener comfortably, but three double faults in his opening service game of the second gifted an opening to Moutet, who did not pass up the invitation. Increasingly, the Briton was getting sucked in to quickfire net exchanges, in contrast to the more comfortable routine of baseline rallies. Fearnley was always playing catch-up and, decisively, Moutet broke again to clinch the set. A reset was palpably needed for the decider. After a toilet break, Fearnley quickly rediscovered his accuracy on attack, sealing a key early break with a pinpoint backhand pass down the line. Moutet promptly whacked a ball out of the Andy Murray Arena and received a ball abuse warning for his troubles. Corentin Moutet lost his cool towards the end of the match (Getty Images) Fearnley takes the acclaim of the crowd at Queen's (Getty Images for LTA) The Frenchman was running out of composure and options, throwing in an underarm serve in the midst of a double break claimed by Fearnley, with an exquisite backhand volley on the stretch having slipped at the net. Advertisement By the end, Moutet seemed to have tapped out. 'I want to go home,' he said, before getting embroiled in a heated row with Egyptian umpire Adel Nour, who had already given the maverick Moutet two time violations. Ignoring the late-match commotion, which included a vociferous spectator, Fearnley served out the match to love. Moutet threw his racket to his bench, a defeated man post-meltdown. Fascinatingly, Fearnley plays his quarter-final opponent – world No 30 Jiri Lehecka – in doubles alongside Cameron Norrie later today. A unique first look, therefore, at what it will take to set-up a likely semi-final with compatriot and hitting partner Jack Draper in Saturday's semi-finals. Meanwhile, top seed Carlos Alcaraz was far from his peerless best but eventually prevailed in an intoxicating tussle against Spanish compatriot Jaume Munar, 6-4, 6-7(7) 7-5 over three hours and 23 minutes, the longest main-draw match at Queen's since 1991. Advertisement Alcaraz squandered two match points in the second-set tie-break – one with a double fault – while Munar converted on his eighth set point in a second set lasting an astonishing 102 minutes. But the world No 2 is the sport's hottest property for a reason and he showed his powers of recovery once again in the third. A break of serve down, he stormed back into contention and, nearly an hour after his first match point, sealed his 15th win in a row and a spot in the quarter-finals with a beautiful backhand lob.
Daily Mail
15 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Hot-headed tennis star Corentin Moutet given THREE code violations and throws his racquet in Queen's meltdown versus victorious Brit Jacob Fearnley
The hottest day of the year brought a Corentin Moutet meltdown at Queen's Club, the maverick Frenchman calling the umpire 'crazy' during a last-16 defeat by British No2 Jacob Fearnley. Moutet was relatively calm by his standards across the first two sets but when he was broken early in the deciding set the screw began to come loose. The 26-year-old had been given a code violation for slow play in that game and when Fearnley broke, Moutet blasted a ball into the Queen's crowd, earning a second violation. Serving to stay in the match at 5-1 down he was given a third time violation, triggering the docking of a first serve. 'Get on with it,' said a voice from the crowd and when Moutet complained to umpire Adel Nour at the sledging, another fan told him to 'shut up'. After eventually holding Moutet let Egyptian umpire Adel Nour have it. 'Saying time violations is like your only job,' he began. 'You're talking to me four changeovers in a row, then you give me a time violation and say, 'Don't talk to me'. What's wrong with you? 'I am running every day for three hours and you are telling me what I have to do. Ten seconds with three balls in my hand. What am I supposed to do? It happens every point. I explain it to you and you give me a time violation without listening to me. Oh my god! This guy's crazy. Killing me. You're killing me every day.' It was not easy to follow the exact thread of Moutet's thoughts - it rarely is - but the gist was pretty clear. John Lloyd on BBC commentary summed things up by saying: 'He's lost it. 'This guy's crazy' - look in the mirror!' At the end of the match Moutet flung his racket across the court, then sent his cap chasing after it. Amid all the mayhem, Fearnley stayed as cool as it was possible to be on a 30oC day - the hottest of the year - and this 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 victory takes him into the last eight for the first time at Tour level. 'I'm very happy to be in my first quarter-final,' said the 23-year-old Scot. 'It's even better to do it here in the UK. It's really special for me. I've dreamed of these moments since I was a young boy. To do it here in front of this crowd and on this court is unbelievable. 'I tried to stick to my game plan and be aggressive. I did that better in the third set and the result speaks for itself. 'It's really special to have everyone here and watch me play on this stage.' The British was dressed like Gary Player and diving like Boris Becker. Like the great South African golfer, he was all in black - madness given the heat - and he broke for a 4-1 lead in the deciding set with a diving volley of which the German legend would have been proud. Moutet took a couple of tumbles himself, of a more slapstick variety. His antics can be way beyond the pale - he has behaved far worse than this - but he is such fun to watch, with his twirling drop shots and chip-and-charge net rushes, it is difficult to judge him more harshly than as a loveable rogue. Fearnley was holding him at bay with his usual measured aggression before a horror service game at the start of the second set. He served three double faults to go 2-0 down and Moutet ran away with the set. The Scot regained his momentum in the decider and the only question now was whether the sideshow at the other end of the court would distract him. But Fearnley maintained his sangfroid and he and Jack Draper are one win apiece away from setting up an all-Brit semi-final, a first meeting since their days as junior friends and rivals. In Friday's quarters, Fearnley plays Czech Jiri Lehecka and Draper faces American Brandon Nakashima.
Wales Online
17 hours ago
- Sport
- Wales Online
Queen's tennis crowd brutally boo star as atmosphere turns bitter on TV
Queen's tennis crowd brutally boo star as atmosphere turns bitter on TV Corentin Moutet was already playing against the fans at Queen's as he faced British No. 2 Jacob Fearnley, and matters only got worse when the Frenchman smashed a ball into the stands Corentin Moutet confronted the umpire while 2-5 down in the final set (Image: BBC ) Corentin Moutet, the French qualifier, faced the ire of spectators at the Andy Murray Arena after he angrily hit a ball into the stands. The crowd was already against him, with British No. 2 Jacob Fearnley on the opposite side of the court. However, the atmosphere turned bitter when Moutet, in frustration, struck a ball away after being broken in the decisive third set, leading to a chorus of boos echoing around the centre court at Queen's Club. Subsequently, Moutet received a code violation warning. Moutet is a contentious character on the tour, reports the Express. The world No. 89 has been handed numerous code violations throughout his career and has even been disqualified from matches. He once had his funding withdrawn by the French Tennis Federation. Article continues below His matches are always expected to be dramatic, and this was certainly the case when he took on Fearnley in the second round of the HSBC Championships at Queen's. Moutet, who qualified for the main draw here, managed to force a final set after losing the first. However, after being broken at 1-1 in the third set, he became frustrated and hit a ball away. As Moutet returned to his bench, now trailing by a break, the crowd began to boo. Chair umpire Adel Nour promptly announced a code violation for ball abuse. "Moutet is going to be in all sorts of trouble here," BBC commentator Sam Smith observed. Corentin Moutet of France looks on against Jacob Fearnley of Great Britain (Image: Getty Images ) John Lloyd highlighted the fortune of Moutet not injuring anyone with his shot, remarking: "Certainly made sure he didn't hit anybody in the stands with that ball. He hit that about half a mile away. That was a brilliant passing shot from Fearnley to break there. "Here we go, this one went a long way up. Got to be careful when you do that, I remember Davis Cup with [Denis] Shapovalov. He did that but didn't get the angle right and smacked it straight at the umpire. Immediate default." Smith responded: "The minute you start hitting the ball about, even if it's at the back netting, into the stands, you're in big trouble and that's an automatic warning. Very good umpiring from Adel Nour who has tried to also diffuse the situation. It's always going to be tricky with Corentin on the court." Further tension arose as the world No. 89 received a time violation while serving to stay in the match at 1-5 and snapped at a spectator to "shut up" after being heckled. He fended off match points to remain in contention before challenging the umpire, exclaiming: "Say time violation whenever it's on zero, that's your only job? They are talking to me," in frustration. Article continues below French player Corentin Moutet blasted the umpire after being handed a time violation, saying: "I have three balls in the hand and it's 10 seconds, and then you give me a time violation and you say don't talk to me. What's wrong with you? In sunglasses and you're making the rules, that's funny. I'm running every day three hours and you're telling me what to do. That's crazy. One point I explain it to you and you give me a time violation. Oh my god, this guy is crazy! It's killing me, killing me every day." Following the argument, Fearnley continued and won the match, securing a 6-3 2-6 6-2 victory to advance to the quarter-finals in his first appearance in the tournament. Despite the tension on court, Moutet showed good sportsmanship by shaking hands with his opponent at the end.
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jacob Fearnley reaches first ATP Tour-level quarter-final at Queen's
Jacob Fearnley dished out another French lesson as he reached a first career ATP Tour-level quarter-final at Queen's Club. The British number two beat volatile qualifier Corentin Moutet 6-3 2-6 6-2 at the HSBC Championships. Advertisement In doing so, Fearnley extended his remarkable, perfect record against French players to 17 wins from 17 matches. He said: 'I'm very happy to be in my first quarter-final, it's even better to do it here in the UK. It's really special for me, I've dreamed of these moments since I was a young boy. 'I tried to stick to my game plan and be aggressive. I did that better in the third set and the result speaks for itself.' Fearnley wrapped up a controlled first set with a double-ace finish, while madcap Moutet got a ticking-off from umpire Adel Nour for chucking his racket. However, the momentum shifted quickly when three double-faults from the home player gave Moutet an early break in the second. Moutet's antics earned him a warning from the umpire (Ben Whitley/PA) But Fearnley reset well in the decider, breaking Moutet with a backhand winner down the line, prompting the fiery 26-year-old to whack a ball high over the stands and earn a long-overdue warning from the chair. Advertisement A diving backhand volley secured a double break and Fearnley kept his head as Moutet lost his – bickering with the umpire and the crowd – to wrap up victory in just over two hours. Fearnley will play a fellow 23-year-old, Czech world number 30 Jiri Lehecka, in the last eight.
