Rising Spanish tennis star handed code violation for swearing at ballboy

SHANGHAI — Rising Spanish star Rafael Jodar was warned for unsportsmanlike conduct after shouting an expletive at a ballboy in the fourth round of the Shanghai Masters on Wednesday. Jodar, 20, was trailing Botic van de Zandschulp after losing the first set on a tie-break when he shouted in Spanish: "Give me the fucking towel!" He had fired a shot just long to lose a break point in the first game of the second set. Jodar was swiftly issued a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct, a violation of the ATP rulebook, by Ecuadoran chair umpire Jimmy Pinoargote. The two had a brief exchange in Spanish as Jodar complained to Pinoargote that his request for a towel was being ignored. Pinoargote responded that he understood but could not excuse Jodar's language. "Ask me, and I'll ask him," Pinoargote said. "Not like that — that's not how we speak to them." When Jodar asked Pinoargote, "What did I say?," and the umpire responded: "I can't repeat it. You know what you said." Jodar went on to beat van de Zandschulp 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-2. The world number 13 is having a breakout season after starting at 168th. He will face Casper Ruud in the Shanghai quarter-finals after the Norwegian advanced when Felix Auger-Aliassime retired...