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Amarissa Kiara Toth recently apologized to China's Zhang Shuai for her on-court actions against her earlier this week.
The match between Zhang and Toth at the Hungarian Open on Tuesday (July 18) was marred by controversy, as the Chinese player was forced to retire after breaking down on the court.
The controversy started when a ball was called out during a critical point in the first set, with the score tied at 5-5 and 15-all. Zhang was certain that the ball had hit the line, but the umpire disagreed.
Zhang wanted to have a consultation with a supervisor, which the commentators appeared to agree with. The Chinese then won the next point, but things were about to get much worse.
At 30-30, Amarissa Kiara Toth walked up to the mark left by the disputed shot in question and erased it with her shoe. From her side of the net, Zhang yelled:
"Wait, wait, wait, keep the mark! What are you doing? Why would you do that?"
Zhang then summoned the physio before deciding to withdraw from the tie, while trailing 5-6. She shook hands with the chair umpire and Toth, but the crowd booed the Chinese even as the local player lifted her arms in celebration.
Amarissa Kiara Toth was defeated in the next round by Kateryna Baindl, and she sat down for a press conference where she apologized to Zhang Shuai. She asserted that it was never her intention to disrespect or upset anyone, and expressed regret for her post-match celebration.
"I am extremely sorry for what happened. I respect Zhang Shuai as a person & just as much as an athlete. It was never my intention to disrespect, to upset, or to hurt anybody. I realize I shouldn’t have celebrated the way I did after the match," Toth said.
The Hungarian added that her reaction during the encounter was a result of her distraction due to the "heat of the match." She also hoped that when she would have the opportunity to talk to the Chinese in the future, she could express her deep regret about the match ending on a sour note.
"I got caught up by my emotion, by the heat of the match. I got caught up by the moment. I didn't want to win like that. I hope that in future, I have the opportunity to sit down and talk with Zhang Shuai and tell her how badly I felt that our match ended this way," Toth said.
Amarissa Kiara Toth's opponent sends support to Zhang Shuai
Kateryna Baindl, Amarissa Kiara Toth's second-round opponent at the Hungarian Open, said in an on-court interview following her win over Toth that she hopes Zhang Shuai feels better soon and makes a comeback.
"Today they were fair (the crowd) but I just want to say that I hope they can stay fair and Shuai Zhang feels better and hopefully she gets better we’ll see her back soon," she said.
The Ukrainian added:
"She’s an unbelievable player, very respectful, and a great person and I guess we should all stay respectful to each other doesn't matter what."
