French Open 2017: Watch as Laurent Lokoli snubs Martin Klizan handshake
MARTIN KLIZAN was refused a handshake by Laurent Lokoli after beating the Frenchman at Roland Garros.
Laurent Lokoli refuses to shake opponent's hand after loss
Slovakian Klizan beat Lokoli 7-6 [4], 6-3, 4-6, 0-6, 6-4 to dump his opponent out of his home tournament in Paris.
But a spat midway through the match meant Lokoli was in no mood to be sporting at the end of the encounter.
After hitting wide his final shot, Lokoli refused to come to the net to shake Klizan’s hand.
His opponent came over to the Frenchman but was waved away, much to the derision of the crowd.
Laurent Lokoli (right) snubs Martin Klizan handshake
Lokoli'nin çıldırmasına sebep olan şeylerden biri Klizan'ın rakibinin çift hatasını kutlaması #RG17 pic.twitter.com/UYPJYZoEfU
— Tenis Kanalı (@TenisKanali) May 30, 2017
Encouragé dans 1 ferveur rare à #RG17, #Lokoli sort finalement sous les sifflets du Court 17 apres avoir refusé la poignée de main à #Klizan pic.twitter.com/freqXFWqzV
— Pierre Henry-Dufeil (@PierreHD) May 30, 2017
The spat started when Lokoli too umbrage to some vocal Klizan postulating after a double fault handed the Slovakian a 5-2 lead in the fifth set.
The pair traded verbal blows from their seats, with the French Open umpire forced to step in.
“If I did not shake hands with him, it is because there is a reason,” Lokoli said.
Lokoli is out of the French Open
“He made out to be hurting his leg for two sets and was then running around like a rabbit in the fifth set.
“After that he talks to me of respect. It is just disrespectful, what he did.”
Klizan will play either Andy Murray or Andrey Kuznetsov in the second round.