The tennis world is rocked with the scandal that occurred in the course of the WTA’s Budapest Open on Tuesday, as Chinese participant Shuai Zhang was forced to retire following a panic assault after a disastrous sequence of occasions. Zhang was put right into a clearly emotional state as a mixture of controversial officiating, questionable sportsmanship, and a hostile crowd overwhelmed her. Playing Hungarian Amarissa Toth, Zhang was plunged into controversy after the chair umpire made a howler of a choice whereas checking a ball mark on the clay courtroom, and making an incorrect name.

Toth would add gas to the fireplace by erasing the mark of the ball regardless of Zhang pleading along with her to not, earlier than celebrating after her opponent was pressured to retire.

The tennis world has turned up arms in opposition to each Toth and the umpire, with many members on the WTA voicing their help of Zhang, one of the vital well-liked gamers on the tour. Players equivalent to Ons Jabeur, Ajla Tomljanovic, and Daria Gavrilova have tweeted in help of Zhang and known as out Toth’s behaviour as unacceptable and disgraceful in the direction of the game.

The newest and most high-profile criticism of the participant and chair umpire has now come from a legend of the sport, Martina Navratilova. Navratilova, who’s now a commentator and pundit, used her Twitter account to criticize each people concerned.

Replying to a tweet by ESPN analyst Brad Gilbert, Navratilova didn’t maintain again. The Czech-American wrote: “Pathetic from any angle- umpire is not fit to call clay court matches and Toth is a bad sport.”

Toth has rubbed followers and her colleagues alike the improper manner, and is going through criticism for her feedback following the match as nicely, through which she implied that Zhang was “making trouble for herself”. A participant ranked outdoors the WTA’s prime 500, she has shortly turn into a goal and a largely universally disliked participant on account of this being her most distinguished occasion whereas on tour.