Controversy hits Provence Challenger as Nuno Borges and Harold Mayot engage in heated tussle mid-match

Controversy hit the 2023 Aix-en-Provence Challenger during Nuno Borges' Round of 32 clash against Frenchman Harold Mayot as an argument broke out between the duo mid-match.

In the first set, Borges was leading 4-5 with Mayot serving on a breakpoint (30-40), when a ball interrupted play from a nearby court. Consequently, the Frenchman decided to use the opportunity to take a break instead of carrying on with proceedings.

The 21-year-old sat down, drank water, and started complaining to the chair umpire about the interruption, and as a result, the play was stopped for three minutes. Unhappy with how the chair umpire managed the situation, Borges went to the net and called the supervisor after the first set turned 5-5 with Mayot holding serve.

The chain of events led to Nuno Borges imploding, as he started looking unfocused despite leading the set a game earlier. The Portuguese eventually ended up losing the first set 7-5, giving away two games straight after the stoppage.

As the first set concluded, the two found themselves indulging in another heated argument, making the atmosphere intense on Court Nissan. Capitalizing on the momentum, Harold Mayot managed to seal the next set and eventually the match 7-5, 6-4.

Nuno Borges was understandably disappointed following his loss, especially as it was his second consecutive first-round exit after the Madrid Open, where Marcos Giron eliminated him in the Round of 128.

Harold Mayot will face Brandon Nakashima in the Round of 16 at the Aix-en-Provence Challenger

Harold Mayot at the 2020 Australian Open

Native Harold Mayot secured a place in the Round of 16 at the Provence Challengers after he took down Nuno Borges earlier today. Here, he will square off against second seed Brandon Nakashima. The American will present a huge challenge against the Frenchman, as there is a huge difference between the pair in terms of experience.

Mayot also took part in the men's doubles at the Aix-en-Provence Challenger. He teamed up with compatriot Adrian Mannarino to face the top-seeded pair of Argentina's Horacio Zeballos and Spain's Marcel Granollers in the Round of 16.

However, unlike his singles performance, Mayot and his partner Mannarino lost 6-3, 6-4 in their Round of 16 fixture in the men's doubles. The winning pair of Zeballos and Granollers will be up against Philipp Oswald and Robin Haase in the quarterfinals.