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Nick Kyrgios got testy with chair umpire at French Open

The opening day of the French Open was short on play, but not on controversy.

Nick Kyrgios (Getty Images)
Nick Kyrgios (Getty Images)

During the first set between 17th-ranked Nick Kyrgios and Marco Cecchinato, Kyrgios was assessed a code violation for forcefully yelling at a ball boy to hand him a towel.

Kyrgios took exception to the ruling by umpire Carlos Ramos, arguing that he had only raised his voice because of the noise of the crowd. Ramos was firm though and maintained that Kyrgios’ tone was enough to earn him a violation.

Kyrgios went back to serve, but was interrupted by a cheering fan. After winning the service, the 21-year-old Australian again went up to Ramos.

“But when Djokovic pushes a line umpire out of the way that’s alright,” Kyrgios said, referencing an incident at last month’s Italian Open. “Tell the whole world that’s alright.”

During a semifinal match against Rafael Nadal, Djokovic swatted away a line umpire’s hand after becoming frustrated with his decision. Djokovic was not penalized at the time, but could face a fine from the ATP.

Eventually, Kyrgios took his place back on the court, but not before again addressing Ramos, accusing him of “unbelievable bias.”

Kyrgios calmed himself down enough to win the match and advance to the second round, but he kept the criticism going at a press conference.

''I mean, I think we all know, in this room, if that was me that did that, it would be an absolute circus,” Kyrgios told reporters, again referencing Djokovic. “But if he did it, you know, nothing really happened of it. It speaks for itself.''

Sunday was not the first time that Kyrgios’ mouth has gotten him into trouble. Last year, he was suspended 28 days and fined $25,000 by the ATP for comments he made to Stan Wawrinka during a match.