Ellen Perez HARSHLY criticizes Hugo Gaston’s ‘controversial’ retirement claiming such behavior may be due to ‘betting related issues’

The Australian women's tennis player criticized Gaston for his unsportsmanlike conduct during the match.

Ellen Perez HARSHLY criticizes Hugo Gaston’s ‘controversial’ retirement claiming such behavior may be due to ‘betting related issues’

Hugo Gaston and Ellen Perez (Credits: Reuters and Tennis Majors)

In the aftermath of French tennis player Hugo Gaston’s unexpected match retirement with only one point to go during a challenger event in Italy, several fans and players have criticized the Frenchman’s decision and termed it un-sportsmanlike. Several have gone on to attribute betting issues to the foul decision, claiming that Gaston deliberately retired to escape bet losses. Australian women’s tennis player Ellen Perez voiced the same opinion in a recent tweet.

In her tweet, Ellen said, “If you can walk to the net then you can walk to the ad court and throw in that last serve. This shouldn’t be allowed. It screams betting related issues. Some companies give money back if matches end in retirement. It’s the only logical answer because this is just ridiculous.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjIvCUrrIQ8

She accused him of engaging in betting manipulation, suggesting that he may have bet on himself to win the match and chose to retire to avoid losing money.

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Gaston, second seed at the event, faced off against Argentina’s Marco Trungelliti in the first round of the Verona Challenger. Having started strongly, Gaston eventually lost his lead and grip over the match.

At 5-2 down in the final set, Gaston was facing defeat as Trungelliti held three consecutive match points. However, instead of continuing the match and fighting for another point, Gaston controversially decided to retire.

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Hugo Gaston is no stranger to controversies

Hugo Gaston
Hugo Gaston (Credits: Eurosport)

This is not the first time Hugo Gaston has found himself embroiled in controversy. Earlier in the year, he received a hefty fine from the ATP for engaging in unsportsmanlike conduct during a match against Borna Coric at the Madrid Masters. Gaston deliberately dropped a second ball onto the court while the primary ball was still in play, hoping to replay the point. The ATP initially fined him €144,000, but it was reduced to €72,000 following an appeal.

Despite the controversies surrounding him, Hugo Gaston has had some recent success on the tennis tour. Prior to the Verona Challenger, Gaston secured two consecutive title wins at the Trieste Challenger and the Lasi Challenger. These victories propelled him back into the top 100 of the ATP rankings, currently sitting at the 92nd position.

However, with a career marred by controversies so far, the Frenchman may soon find it difficult to maintain his reputation on tour.

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