'What's your problem with me?' - Alize Cornet lambasts umpire after second time violation at Australian Open

ByDan Quarrell

Published 22/01/2022 at 06:37 GMT

"You can't give me a code violation for that," a perplexed Alize Cornet said to the umpire while gesticulating in anger after receiving a second time violation and losing her first serve against Tamara Zidansek in the third round of the Australian Open. "What is your problem with me? Listen to me: we don't even have time to get a towel! They are over there, and that is very far."

Alize Cornet could not contain her fury after she received a second time violation from the umpire and lost her first serve at the Australian Open.

The French star, who was clearly struggling to see the court with the sun blazing down on Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne, took too long for the shot clock at the start of her service game during the second set of her third-round match against Tamara Zidansek.

It came at a crucial moment in the match at 4-4 with Zidansek having claimed the opening set, and Cornet was absolutely livid that she was deducted a serve in the searing heat.

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"You can't give me a code violation for that," a perplexed Cornet said to the umpire while gesticulating.

"I didn't do anything ... I didn't take my time, I just took the balls. I didn't even wait for one second. I took the ball and I went to the line.

"What is your problem with me? Listen to me: we don't even have time to get a towel! They are over there, and that is very far when you have to walk.

"Can you hear? You are sitting there saying, 'code violation'. Don't you think that is too much!"

The confrontation and code violation clearly got to Cornet as she immediately fluffed a forehand long to lose the point from the resulting second serve against the 20th seed.

But she then went on to stage a stunning recovery, winning the second set 6-4 before taking that momentum into the decider to win that 6-2 and progress through to the fourth round.

From the frustration of the second time violation to having the crowd on Margaret Court Arena singing happy birthday to her after an inspired victory, it was quite a day for Cornet.

Crowd sing Happy Birthday to Alize Cornet

She is far from the only player to have lost her cool with the officials at Melbourne Park over the last few days. Yesterday, Reilly Opelka lost his composure with the umpire and said, "she doesn't like me". Then later, Barbora Krejcikova was handed a time violation after she said she broke her necklace in the bathroom.

'She doesn't like me' - Farcical moment Shapovalov walks off as Opelka argues violation

• 'She doesn't like me' - Farcical drama as Shapovalov walks away while Opelka argues
• 'They're here to watch us, not you!' - Kyrgios in foul-mouthed rants on clock, towels
• 'I had to pick it up' - Krejcikova rages after getting time violation

Then, of course, there was Nick Kyrgios and his repeated fiery exchanges with the umpire during his second-round defeat to Daniil Medvedev.

'They're here to watch us, not you!' - Kyrgios in foul-mouthed rant at umpire

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