Casablanca, Morocco – A Davis Cup World Group I playoff match between Morocco and Colombia descended into chaos on , culminating in a tense confrontation between players and spectators after Colombia secured a 3-1 victory. The decisive point was clinched by Nicolás Mejía, but the celebrations sparked a volatile reaction from the Moroccan crowd, leading to objects being thrown onto the court and a heated exchange between both teams.
The tie, played on clay in Casablanca, began with a split in the opening singles matches on . R. Bennani of Morocco defeated A. Barrera of Colombia in a closely contested match, 7-6 (7-4), 7-5. However, Colombia responded immediately with a straight-sets victory as T. Vardy fell to N. Mejia, 3-6, 2-6, leveling the score at 1-1.
The momentum shifted decisively in Colombia’s favor on the second day. They took the lead with a doubles victory, with the Colombian pairing of N. Barrientos and J. Gomez overcoming Bennani and Y. Ratami in a tight contest, 6-7 (5-7), 6-7 (3-7). Mejía then sealed the victory for Colombia with a hard-fought win over Bennani in the fourth singles match. The final scoreline was 6-1, 4-6, 6-2, giving Colombia an insurmountable 3-1 lead.
It was Mejía’s reaction immediately following his match-winning point that ignited the unrest. Responding to jeers from the Moroccan audience, he made a “shut up” gesture with his finger to his lips. This provocative act was met with a barrage of plastic bottles and other objects thrown onto the court by disgruntled spectators. Moroccan players reacted with visible anger, and a heated argument ensued, requiring intervention from Davis Cup officials and neutral parties to separate the two teams and escort the Colombian players off the court.
The incident underscores the intense passion and sometimes volatile atmosphere that can characterize Davis Cup competition. The Davis Cup format, with its best-of-five match structure, inherently builds tension over two days of play. The stakes are particularly high in the World Group I playoff, as the winner gains entry into the World Group I Division, which will be contested in September.
This victory propels Colombia into the World Group I Division, offering them a chance to compete at a higher level of the Davis Cup. For Morocco, the defeat is a setback, requiring them to regroup and prepare for future challenges in their quest to climb the Davis Cup ranks. The scenes in Casablanca, however, will likely overshadow the on-court performance, raising questions about security and sportsmanship at future Davis Cup events held in Morocco.
The match results in full are as follows:
- 1st match: R. Bennani 7-6 (7-4), 7-5 A. Barrera (Colombia)
- 2nd match: T. Vardy (Morocco) 3-6, 2-6 N. Mejia
- 3rd game: Bennani / Y. Ratami (Morocco) 6-7 (5-7), 6-7 (3-7) N. Barrientos (Colombia) / J. Gomez (Colombia)
- 4th game: Bennani 1-6, 6-4, 2-6 Mejia
