Novak Djokovic accused Cameron Norrie of unsportsmanlike behaviour after a frosty encounter in the fourth round of the Italian Open.
The world number one ultimately eased to 6-3 6-4 victory but there was a flashpoint where Norrie hit Djokovic with a smash, and the handshake at the net lacked any warmth.
The main talking point came in the fourth game of the second set as Norrie sought to retrieve an early break.
Djokovic turned his back on the play after presenting his opponent with an easy overhead, only for Norrie, seemingly unintentionally, to drill the ball into the Serbianâs legs, who responded with an extremely hard stare.
Speaking to reporters afterwards, Djokovic was less bothered by that incident than Norrieâs overall demeanour coupled with a medical timeout he took prior to the final game.
âI did watch the replay when he hit me,â said the six-time champion. âMaybe you could say he didnât hit me deliberately. I donât know if he saw me.
âI mean, (in your peripheral vision) you can always see where the player is positioned on the court. The ball was super slow and super close to the net. I just turned around because the point was over for me.
âIt was not so much maybe about that, but it was a combination of things. From the very beginning, he was doing all the things that were allowed. Heâs allowed to take a medical timeout. Heâs allowed to hit a player. Heâs allowed to say âCâmonâ in the face more or less every single point.
âThose are the things that we players know in the locker room itâs not fair play, itâs not how we treat each other.
âI got along with Cameron really well all these years that heâs been on the tour. Practised with each other. Heâs a very nice guy off the court, so I donât understand this kind of attitude on the court, to be honest.
âBut it is what it is. He brought the fire, and I responded to that. Iâm not going to allow someone behaving like this just bending my head. Iâm going to respond to that. Thatâs all it is. What happens on the court, we leave it on the court, and we move on.â
Norrie, who had lost both his previous meetings with Djokovic, dropped serve at the start of the contest and was kept at armâs length through the rest of the opening set, with the Serbian putting on a tactical masterclass.
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