The Miami Open turned into a theatre of the absurd on Friday as Corentin Moutet was handed both a point violation and a game violation for causing delay in his match against Alejandro Tabilo. A crowd-fueled drama unfolded on the court, with Moutet’s agitation towards Tabilo’s supporters escalating to the point where he stopped playing, demanding a particular spectator’s ejection.
Moutet, having clinched the first set 7-5, found himself trailing 3-5 in the second. Reacting to a botched forehand by Tabilo, Moutet celebrated emphatically, directing hand signals towards the crowd. This act was met with a wave of boos but didn’t deter Moutet from repeating his antics. The Frenchman’s theatrics took center stage once again on the following point when Tabilo’s serve found the net.
As Tabilo clawed his way to set point, the drama escalated. Moutet, seemingly bothered by one spectator’s reaction, marched towards the umpire, identifying the culprit. Insisting that he wouldn’t resume play until the fan was escorted out, Moutet’s stubbornness backfired. Instead of acquiescing, the umpire imposed a point penalty on Moutet for causing delay, handing Tabilo the second set by default.
The interval between the second and third sets saw Moutet continue his animated conversation with Tabilo and the supervisor. However, this only led to a second penalty for Moutet, this time a game penalty for a visible obscenity code violation. The 25-year-old was left dumbfounded, resorting to gesturing and holding his head in his hands.
Moutet eventually resumed play in the third set, only to lose the match 7-5 3-6 5-7. His exit from the tournament was greeted with loud cheers from both Tabilo and the crowd. Tabilo, buoyed by the support of his fellow Chileans in Miami, has now set his sights on the round of 32 match against fifth seed Casper Ruud on Sunday.
The Miami Open continues, with players such as Novak Djokovic, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Tommy Paul advancing through their matches on Friday. However, for Nick Kyrgios, Daniil Medvedev and, surprisingly, Carlos Alcaraz, their Miami Open journey ended in the round of 64.
