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Mallorca Championships

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina meets Pavel Kotov with slappy handshake after Mallorca ousting  

The lucky loser improved to 2-0 against the Spaniard following Tuesday's 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory.

ByTENNIS.com

Published Jun 27, 2023

MATCH POINT: P. Kotov def. A. Davidovich Fokina; Mallorca 2R

Welcome to another episode of here for the handshake.

Tuesday’s edition brought together Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Pavel Kotov in Mallorca. Despite winning the first set and enjoying the benefits of a home crowd, Davidovich Fokina was denied by the lucky loser.

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The moment in question...

© Tennis Channel

Recovering from 0-40 down in the final game, Kotov clinched the second-round contest after the Spaniard’s backhand return caught the net. But when Kotov extended his right hand for a handshake, it was met with a slap-forward grip and intense stare from his fellow 24-year-old. Brief words were exchanged, with Kotov appearing puzzled by his opponent’s reaction.

His 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 win saw Kotov improve to 2-0 in the pair’s head-to-head series, adding to a straight-set victory at last October’s Astana Open.