Ilie Nastase in hot water after tirade, Serena comments

A player leaves the court in tears. A captain is removed from the courts and the tie. Emotions and ugly incidents dominated the first day of play between Great Britain and Romania in their Fed Cup playoff.

Ilie Nastase, Romania’s greatest-ever player and captain of the nation’s Fed Cup team, was at the center of it all, with what’s been described as boorish behavior toward the umpire and his opponents. That has led to him being removed from the rest of the competition this weekend—and has left his fate with the team up in the air.

Nastase was escorted from the court during the match between Sorana Cirstea and Johanna Konta, after belittling the umpire and allegedly hurling slurs at Konta and Great Britain’s Fed Cup captain Anne Keothavong.

Romanian player Monica Niculescu took Nastase’s place in the captain’s seat.

The International Tennis Federation released a statement in regard to what has transpired.

In the team press conference leading up to the tie, Simona Halep was asked about Serena Williams, who announced this week that she was pregnant.

Reportedly, Nastase was overheard saying, "Let's see what color it has. Chocolate with milk?" Williams' fiance, Alexis Ohanian, is white.

The Nastase encounter—along with alleged verbal abuse from the crowd—left Konta in tears, and she was excused from the court. When she returned, she won the second set and the match to level the tie. Halep defeated Heather Watson in the opening match.

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