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Tennis fans have expressed their anger over the harsh words hurled by Tommy Paul and other members of Team World against Stefanos Tsitsipas during the 2022 Laver Cup on Sunday.
The Laver Cup concluded on Sunday evening, with Team World lifting their maiden trophy in the tournament’s fifth edition. Team Europe had won the previous four editions.
In this year's event, the two teams were almost neck-and-neck after the first 10 matches, with Team World leading 10-8. The third and final match of the day was contested between Stefanos Tsitsipas and Frances Tiafoe.
Had Tsitsipas clinched victory in that contest, a final deciding match-up between Casper Ruud and Taylor Fritz was on the cards. However, Tiafoe saved four match points before eventually claiming victory for his team.
There were also some vicious comments made by Tommy Paul against Stefanos Tsitsipas during changeovers, including one where he said he would try to get into the Greek's head with 'daddy jokes'. That was in reference to Tsitsipas' controversial father, who has often been accused of coaching from the stands.
Not surprisingly, fans on Twitter were not amused by any of that.
“When Team World wins and Tommy Paul lifts the trophy, I hope he remembers all he did all week was sit on a bench,” one fan said.
Another fan said that Tommy Paul's foul words towards Stefanos Tsitsipas showcased bullying and were below the belt.
“This isn't ‘trash talk’. It's flat out bullying. Disgraceful that they'd stoop so low," the fan voiced.
Yet another individual condemned the team for their lack of respect, which was a stark contrast to the mannerisms displayed by legends Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
“And this is the level of advice we have on team world's bench. Complete lack of respect. Haven't you learnt anything from Roger, Rafa and Novak the past couple of days?” the fan wondered.
Here are some more fan reactions:
Stefanos Tsitsipas loses final Laver Cup encounter; Tommy Paul doesn't play
Stefanos Tsitsipas and Frances Tiafoe played the 11th and final encounter of the tournament. The Greek closed out the opening set with a one-sided 6-1 score, but the second set was a tough battle that went to a nail-biting tie-break. Tiafoe was able to hold his nerve and win that 7-6(11), to force a concluding tie-break.
The American then played some magnificent shots to gain the upper head in the final stretch, winning the match tiebreak 10-8. The final score was 13-8 in favor of Team World.
The tournament marked Roger Federer's retirement from competitive tennis. He played his final match alongside Rafael Nadal on Day 1, but the pair ended up on the losing side.
The two legends played only one match during the event and thus Matteo Berrettini and Cameron Norrie, who were called in as the alternates for team Europe, were able to play. On the other hand, no player from Team World withdrew from any of their clashes, and so the alternate Tommy Paul was unable to contest any matches.
