Asian Games 2023: South Korean tennis player smashes racquet to pieces and refuses to shake Thai opponent’s hand after loss
Kwon Soon-woo loses the plot after three-set defeat by Thailand’s Samrej Kasidit in men’s singles tennis eventSouth Korean – ranked more than 500 places above his opponent – refuses to shake hands in unsavoury incidentAsian Games 2023Kathryn GiordanoPublished: 7:46pm, 25 Sep, 2023Why you can trust SCMP
South Korea was caught up in another embarrassing controversy at the Asian Games on Monday with men’s tennis player Kwon Soon-woo smashing his racquet to pieces after an unexpected loss in the second round.
When Thailand’s Samrej Kasidit served the final blow, sealing a 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 win in Hangzhou, Kwon – ranked more than 500 places higher than his opponent at No 112 – slammed his racquet against the ground repeatedly.
The 25-year-old then walked toward the sidelines and continued smashing his racquet against the legs of his changeover chair.
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Having put his racquet down for a moment, Kwon decided he was still angry, and picked it back up to continue whacking the hard court with it.