Lucie Safarova slams Czech friends over poor sportsmanship at US Open 2017

Lucie Safarova lashed out at her fellow Czech Republic players Lucie Hradecka and Katerina Siniakova for poor sportsmanship during her semifinal loss at the US Open while partnering another Czech Barbora Strycova.

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Lucie Safarova exited the women’s doubles competition at US Open in the semifinals alongside Barbora Strycova (Source: Reuters)

Lucie Safarova has blasted her Czech Republic friends Lucie Hradecka and Katerina Siniakova for poor sportsmanship during the women’s doubles semifinal at the US Open in Flushing Meadows on Friday. She termed an incident during the match as “sad” for tennis.

Safarova, playing alongside another Czech Barbora Strycova, expressed disappointment after the match was over and there were some words exchanged during the match too with the chair umpire Marijana Veljovic needed to intervene. Safarova and Strycova lost 2-6, 5-7. Hradecka and Siniakova now face Martina Hingis and Chan Yung-jan in the final.

During the point, Siniakova hit a ball at the net which deflected off the head of her teammate Hradecka. The ball brushed the side of her head before successfully making it across the net. As per the rules, the point should have gone to Safarova and Strycova but Hradecka did not acknowledge the ball had hit her.

Strycova and Safarova livid at Veljovic that she didn't see the ball touch Hradecka's hair.https://t.co/sQNyWEWyWQ

— Tennis GIFs 🎾🎥 (@tennis_gifs) September 8, 2017

“Win or lose you should always play fair! Wouldn’t expect that from a friend. Makes me really sad!..#sportsmanship#fairplay#sad,” tweeted Safarova. However the tweet has since been deleted.