"Umpire directly influenced the match": Dzumhur on Acapulco default

The ATP has confirmed that Damir Dzumhur was defaulted from Acapulco for walking off the court during the qualifying rounds.

At 5-5, 40-40 in the first set of his match with Botic van de Zandschulp, Dzumhur protested when his opponent's shot was called in. Dzumhur was subsequently broken, which brought out an angry set of exchanges with the umpire. He received a warning and then a point penalty before stopping down 5-6, 15-15.

The ATP said Dzumhur was defaulted for not completing the match, as specified in the ATP rules. But he was not disqualified prior to quitting, according to the Bosnian.

"I have chosen to leave the court voluntarily," Dzumhur told the website Tennis Majors.

Dzumhur also insisted that he had not threatened the umpire with physical harm, contrary to some accounts. He said that he initially spoke of suing the umpire.

"He gave me a warning for saying that. I do not know how anyone has the right to give me a warning for those words... I won the first point of the next game and then I have made another comment, I cannot remember exactly what at this point; but the umpire told me, ‘it is enough.’ I answered that it was not enough and that I will decide when it is enough. Then he gave me the second warning," said Dzumhur.

But he acknowledged his frustration went further.

"It is true that I have said to the supervisor that I felt the need to hit the umpire because of what he has done to me. Supervisor suggested that it was not such a great idea," he said.

Dzumhur did also acknowledge his own behavior, but still pointed to the officiating as the start of the problem.

"Simply, I could not bear that someone treats me very badly, that he can do whatever he wants -- the umpire directly influenced the match with his bad calls," he said. "I am really sorry that I was not able to control my emotions, because I let someone to affect me so much."

Having reached as high as No. 23 during his career, the 28-year-old is currently No. 125 in the ATP rankings.