Terence Atmane’s 6-3, 6-3 loss to Miomir Kecmanovic in the Abierto Mexicano Telcel quarterfinals ended with a point penalty on Thursday night.
Having already incurred a time violation earlier in the second set, Atmane’s second such infraction came while returning down match point. Had the Frenchman been serving, it would have resulted only in the loss of a first serve. Because he was returning, however, Atmane automatically lost the point — and with it the match.
“Relax; give me five seconds, okay,” Atmane told the chair umpire after receiving his first time violation at 1-1 in the second set.
“I’m sweating like I’ve never sweated in my life,” he told the trainer during the ensuing changeover. “I’m shaking. I’m cold, I’m hot, I can’t breathe. It’s a joke.”
Things only got worse from there for Atmane, thus sending Kecmanovic through to the semifinals in routine fashion. The Serb will go up against Flavio Cobolli on Friday night.