PARIS (AP) — As anyone who ever has played or watched tennis — professional or recreational — knows, the post-match handshake at the net is as much a customary part of the sport as a racket, ball or serve. So when a player who lost at the French Open rebuffed his opponent's attempt at the ritual Tuesday, it became the talk of the tournament.
On a day when No. 1 Andy Murray and No. 3 Stan Wawrinka won, and a couple top-10 players unaccustomed to long stays at Roland Garros — Alexander Zverev in the men's draw, Johanna Konta in the women's — lost, the most buzzworthy development stemmed from a match between one guy who stands 50th in the world and another who is 285th.
After losing to Martin Klizan of Slovakia 7-6 (4), 6-3, 4-6, 0-6, 6-4 in the first round at Roland Garros, wild-card entry Laurent Lokoli of France skipped the usual sign of sportsmanship. Instead, he went to the sideline to pack up his things.
When Klizan approached, right arm extended, Lokoli dismissively waved him off with the back of a hand, motioning to stay away. Afterward, Lokoli said he wasn't being a sore loser but rather that he didn't want to shake because he thought Klizan was faking an injury during the match and was generally "disrespectful."