After Stefanos Tsitsipas’ withdrawal due to his injury, Novak Djokovic‘s qualification chances into the semis of the ATP Finals were in jeopardy. However, Jannik Sinner, who is part of the same green group, later came to the Serb’s rescue as he defeated his Danish opponent, Holger Rune. Reacting to the nail-biting drama in Turin, the CEO of Lacoste took to social media to hail the young Italian tennis star while also showing his allegiance to the 24-time singles Grand Slam champion.
But, in the process, Thierry Guibert also didn’t hold himself back from slamming the Greek for his early withdrawal that caused problems for Djokovic. Rushing to Tsitsipas’ defense, Andy Murray has now come forward with a candid message.
Andy Murray reacts to Stefanos Tsitsipas’ controversial incident
The CEO of Lacoste, Thierry Guibert, labeled the sixth-seeded Tsitsipas’ early withdrawal from the round-robin tournament as “unfair behavior”. While lauding Jannik Sinner for his incredible victory, Guibert said, “Despite the unfair behaviour of Tsitsipas, he showed to everyone why he is a future champ and an authentic guy.”
Reacting to his brutal criticism of the Greek tennis player, Andy Murray also took to social media to issue an unfiltered statement. The Brit tweeted, “Bizarre post from a CEO of a sports brand🤷♂️ getting injured is part of sport and isnt ‘unfair behaviour’ 👎”
Bizarre post from a CEO of a sports brand🤷♂️ getting injured is part of sport and isnt ‘unfair behaviour’ 👎 https://t.co/cUG2WYnLCH
— Andy Murray (@andy_murray) November 17, 2023
In light of the recent controversy, the former world No. 1 player has made his stance clear that injuries are part of the game. Now, for those wondering about the green group qualification scenario that promoted Guibert to make such harsh remarks, here’s a quick overview of what happened at the round-robin event.
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How did Tsitsipas’ injury affect Djokovic’s campaign in Turin?
The group composed of Sinner, Tsitsipas, Djokovic, and Rune had all the twists and turns in it. Djokovic and Sinner were comfortably leading the group as they managed to win their respective openers in Turin. The Dane, on the other hand, faced a defeat in his first group stage match; however, in his subsequent game, Rune was awarded a walkover after Tsitsipas picked up an injury.
It further brought the 20-year-old level on points with Djokovic, who was outclassed by the Italian in the second match. Due to the same, the green group semifinal qualification scenario also became quite complicated for the top-seeded Serb. He would’ve been knocked out if Sinner had lost his match against Rune.
However, it didn’t happen, as the Italian won in a three-set game, and he further paved the way for the 24-time singles Grand Slam champion into the semis of the round-robin event. Nevertheless, who do you think will emerge victorious in this prestigious tournament? Do let us know through your comments.
