French wildcard Laurent Lokoli snubbed the handshake offered by Martin Klizan at the end of their first round match at Roland Garros.
Klizan had just completed a 7-6, 6-3, 4-6, 0-6, 6-4 win when Lokoli refused to take part in the post-match exchange. Lokoli explained his decision after the match “He made out he had a leg injury but then in the fifth set he was running around like a rabbit. He speaks of respect but he showed none of this.”
Lokoli was also unhappy when Klizan appeared to celebrate the Frenchman’s double fault that gave the Slovak the break in the fifth set.
Lokoli “I have nothing against him as a man, I always respect players on the court. You have two things there. He is a top 50 player. I play Futures and Challengers. There was no respect.”
Klizan when asked for comment had this to say “I have no comment on this. It was his decision not to shake hands so I accept that,In the fourth set, he was playing perfect tennis. I also felt a pinch in my calf. I thought I might have to retire or play a fifth set. So I just kept on fighting.”
It was the second time that Lokoli had lost in the first round in five sets, having lost to Steve Johnson over five in 2014.
Klizan will next face Andy Murray in the second round. The pair have met just once, with Murray winning a three-set battle in Vienna last year.
