Frances Tiafoe racquet-smash penalty dooms USA team to Davis Cup defeat against Netherlands

Frances Tiafoe lost a match to Tallon Griekspoor and the USA’s Davis Cup tie against Netherlands after smashing his racquet in a dramatic finale.

Griekspoor won 6-3 6-7(7) 7-6(3) against the 25-year-old American in Group D in Split, Croatia.

Earlier in the day, Botic Van de Zandschulp defeated Tommy Paul 7-6(2) 6-2 in the first singles match, meaning Netherlands needed one more match win for overall victory.

In what proved to be the final game of the match, Griekspoor’s serve was called out, and the Dutchman challenged the call. On review, thee ball was called in and the umpire awarded Griekspoor the point, moving him 6-2 clear.

That meant Griekspoor had four match points to try to secure the win, and Tiafoe then remonstrated with the chair umpire, Richard Haigh, that the point should instead have been replayed, arguing that the call for out came before he had struck the ball.

Tiafoe had previously and successfully made the same argument in Wednesday’s match, a defeat to Croatia’s Borna Gojo, in a tie that was won by the US 2-1.

The umpire did not change his mind, and Tiafoe then made his case to the tournament referee, who did not reverse the decision.

That angered Tiafoe, who then smashed his racquet into the ground. Salt was rubbed into his wounds as Haigh called a code violation and penalised the American a point. That took Griekspoor to seven points and victory, putting Netherlands in an unassailable 2-0 lead.

It was a strange and controversial end to a match that lasted two hours, 31 minutes as the pair of players battled all the way to a decisive tie-break on the hard court at the Arena Gripe.

Netherlands are now top of Group D with two wins from two, with the US playing Finland on Saturday. The Finnish team lost to Netherlands in the opening round.