AFP, Tokyo :
Brazil tennis player Guilherme Clezar apologised Saturday for making what appeared to be a slit-eyed gesture during his country’s Davis Cup tie with Japan.
While denying any racist intent, the 24-year-old could be in hot water following an incident during Friday’s defeat by Yuichi Sugita in a world group playoff in Osaka.
After successfully challenging a line call, an exasperated Clezar stretched his eyes in an apparent criticism of the line judge.
The gesture was caught by local television, but the player insisted he had not meant to insult Japanese people in a post on the Brazilian tennis federation’s Facebook page.
“I want to underline that I never had the slightest intention to be aggressive, racist, prejudiced or anything of the type against Asian people,” said Clezar, who lost the opening rubber 6-2, 7-5, 7-6 before Brazil fell 2-0 down in the tie.
