Bizarre moment tennis ace asks opponent if he wants to CHANGE umpire

• Hurkacz lost in straight sets to Dimitrov in the fourth round of the French Open
• Match was notable for a strange request by Polish player late on in the contest
• Experienced umpire Alison Hughes was at the centre of the controversy

The award for the strangest moment of the French Open so far goes to Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz , who asked his opponent Grigor Dimitrov if they could change the chair umpire after he was unhappy with her decisions.

Hurkacz disagreed with umpire Alison Hughes – an extremely experienced official who has overseen Grand Slam finals – over a line call after she came down from her chair to examine a mark on the clay.

There followed a bizarre exchange with his opponent Grigor Dimitrov at a changeover. Hurkacz, trailing by two sets to love, made a ‘substitution’ gesture with his hands towards his player box and then addressed close friend Dimitrov.

‘G? You wanna make a change? Or you wanna continue with the lady here?’ he said – needless to say it is in no way within the purview of players to change umpires at will.

A mystified Dimitrov replied: ‘Wanna continue with what?’

‘I mean if you wanna continue with the lady here or you’re fine or you wanna change. That’s what I’m saying, up to you.’

Dimitrov: ‘Honestly it’s whatever you wanna do.’

Hurkacz, 27, is known as one of the nicest, most mild mannered players on tour but this still came across as entitled behaviour.

Dimitrov stuck up for his friend after his straight-sets win. ‘Listen, I think the thing is we all can say very difficult things in the heat of a moment,’ he said. ‘I’m sure whatever he said, it was not meant in a bad way. As I said, he is one of the nicest guys on tour.

‘Also, the umpires, they’re trying their best. It’s a tricky business out there when the ball gets so close to the line. So I think they’re doing their best.

‘On his end we can all say difficult things in the heat of a moment, so I don’t think he meant anything bad on that end.

‘He doesn’t mean any harm or anything like that.’

Hurkacz after the match still seemed to be under the mystifying impression that, if Dimitrov agreed, they could have kicked Hughes off the court and summoned a new official.

‘Just asking Grigor if he would like to make the change,’ he said when asked to explain the incident. ‘If not, then we’re perfectly fine.’