Sign up to our free sport newsletter for all the latest news on everything from cycling to boxing Sign up to our free sport email for all the latest news
Organisers of the ATP Cup have been forced into an embarrassing apology after playing the Romanian national anthem for Moldova before their encounter against Belgium on Friday.
Moldova opened their account with a 3-0 whitewash defeat against Belgium in the day’s opening session, with Steve Darcis defeating Alexander Cozbinov, David Goffin beating Radu Albot and the team of Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen seeing off Albot and Cozbinov in the match-ending doubles.
But the encounter was overshadowed by the embarrassing error that saw the Moldovan team stand for their national anthem, only for an unfamiliar one to ring out and leave them standing there with bemused expressions on their face.
"At the start of the Moldova v Belgium match we mistakenly played the wrong national anthem for Moldova," the ATP said in a statement.
"We are sincerely sorry and have apologised personally to Team Moldova."
2019 in tennisShow all 57 2019 in tennis Tennis in 2019 Cori Gauff celebrates beating Slovenia's Polona Hercog during their women's singles third round match at Wimbledon
AFP via Getty Images
2019 in tennis Tennis in 2019 Rafael Nadal and Nick Kyrgios shake hands after the Spaniard's second-round victory at Wimbledon
Getty Images
2019 in tennis Tennis in 2019 Stefanos Tsitsipas ahead of his quarter-final match against Roberto Bautista Agut at the Australian Open
Getty Images
2019 in tennis Tennis in 2019 Roger Federer in action against Stan Wawrinka at the French Open
Getty Images
2019 in tennis Tennis in 2019 Johanna Konta celebrates after beating Maria Sakkari on Day Two of the Fed Cup
Getty Images
2019 in tennis Tennis in 2019 Dylan Alcott kisses the championship trophy following victory in his Quad Wheelchair Singles Final match against David Wagner
Getty Images
2019 in tennis Tennis in 2019 Bianca Andreescu reacts after winning the women's US Open final
Getty Images
2019 in tennis Tennis in 2019 Stan Wawrinka celebrates during his fourth round match against Stefanos Tsitsipas at the French Open
Getty Images
2019 in tennis Tennis in 2019 Nick Kyrgios bends over the net during his first round Wimbledon match against Australia's Jordan Thompson
AFP via Getty Images
2019 in tennis Tennis in 2019 Gael Monfils celebrates after beating Albert Ramos-Vinolas at the US Open
Getty Images
2019 in tennis Tennis in 2019 Andy Murray waves goodbye to the crowds after his first-round loss to Roberto Bautista Agut at the Australian Open
Getty Images
2019 in tennis Tennis in 2019 Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer in action during the Wimbledon final
AFP via Getty Images
2019 in tennis Tennis in 2019 Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer embrace at the net after their semi-final clash at the French Open
Getty Images
2019 in tennis Tennis in 2019 Cori Gauff and Naomi Osaka share a hug after their encounter at the US Open
Getty Images
2019 in tennis Tennis in 2019 A bird sits on the net during the singles match between Sofia Kenin and Caroline Garcia at the Hobart International
Getty Images
2019 in tennis Tennis in 2019 Roger Federer plays a backhand during the French Open semi-final against Rafael Nadal
Getty
2019 in tennis Tennis in 2019 Matteo Berrettini pulls off a tweener to make the return to Denis Shapovalov during their singles match in the Davis Cup
AFP via Getty Images
2019 in tennis Tennis in 2019 Roger Federer feels the heat during the Australian Open
Getty Images
2019 in tennis Tennis in 2019 Cori Gauff celebrates beating Timea Babos in the second round of the US Open
Getty Images
2019 in tennis Tennis in 2019 A general view inside Rod Laver Arena at the Australian Open
Getty Images
2019 in tennis Australian Open - men's final Winner: Novak Djokovic Runner-up: Rafael Nadal
Getty Images
2019 in tennis Australian Open - men's final Winner: Novak Djokovic Runner-up: Rafael Nadal
Getty Images
2019 in tennis Australian Open - men's final Winner: Novak Djokovic Runner-up: Rafael Nadal
Getty Images
2019 in tennis Australian Open - men's final Winner: Novak Djokovic Runner-up: Rafael Nadal
AFP via Getty Images
2019 in tennis Australian Open - women's final Winner: Naomi Osaka Runner-up: Petra Kvitova
AFP via Getty Images
2019 in tennis Australian Open - women's final Winner: Naomi Osaka Runner-up: Petra Kvitova
Getty Images
2019 in tennis Australian Open - women's final Winner: Naomi Osaka Runner-up: Petra Kvitova
Getty Images
2019 in tennis Australian Open - women's final Winner: Naomi Osaka Runner-up: Petra Kvitova
Getty Images
2019 in tennis French Open - men's final Winner: Rafael Nadal Runner-up: Dominic Thiem
Getty Images
2019 in tennis French Open - men's final Winner: Rafael Nadal Runner-up: Dominic Thiem
AFP via Getty Images
2019 in tennis French Open - men's final Winner: Rafael Nadal Runner-up: Dominic Thiem
Getty Images
2019 in tennis French Open - men's final Winner: Rafael Nadal Runner-up: Dominic Thiem
Getty Images
2019 in tennis French Open - women's final Winner: Ashleigh Barty Runner-up: Marketa Vondrousova
AFP via Getty Images
2019 in tennis French Open - women's final Winner: Ashleigh Barty Runner-up: Marketa Vondrousova
AFP via Getty Images
2019 in tennis French Open - women's final Winner: Ashleigh Barty Runner-up: Marketa Vondrousova
Getty Images
2019 in tennis French Open - women's final Winner: Ashleigh Barty Runner-up: Marketa Vondrousova
AFP via Getty Images
2019 in tennis Wimbledon - men's final Winner: Novak Djokovic Runner-up: Roger Federer
Getty Images
2019 in tennis Wimbledon - men's final Winner: Novak Djokovic Runner-up: Roger Federer
AFP via Getty Images
2019 in tennis Wimbledon - men's final Winner: Novak Djokovic Runner-up: Roger Federer
Getty Images
2019 in tennis Wimbledon - men's final Winner: Novak Djokovic Runner-up: Roger Federer
AFP via Getty Images
2019 in tennis Wimbledon - women's final Winner: Simona Halep Runner-up: Serena Williams
AFP via Getty Images
2019 in tennis Wimbledon - women's final Winner: Simona Halep Runner-up: Serena Williams
AFP via Getty Images
2019 in tennis Wimbledon - women's final Winner: Simona Halep Runner-up: Serena Williams
Getty Images
The two Wimbledon champions together at the All England Lawn Tennis club
AFP via Getty Images
2019 in tennis US Open - men's final Winner: Rafael Nadal Runner-up: Daniil Medvedev
Getty Images
2019 in tennis US Open - men's final Winner: Rafael Nadal Runner-up: Daniil Medvedev
AFP via Getty Images
2019 in tennis US Open - men's final Winner: Rafael Nadal Runner-up: Daniil Medvedev
AFP via Getty Images
2019 in tennis US Open - men's final Winner: Rafael Nadal Runner-up: Daniil Medvedev
AFP via Getty Images
2019 in tennis US Open - women's final Winner: Bianca Andreescu Runner-up: Serena Williams
Getty Images
2019 in tennis US Open - women's final Winner: Bianca Andreescu Runner-up: Serena Williams
AFP via Getty Images
2019 in tennis US Open - women's final Winner: Bianca Andreescu Runner-up: Serena Williams
Getty
2019 in tennis US Open - women's final Winner: Bianca Andreescu Runner-up: Serena Williams
Getty Images
Winner: Ashleigh Barty Runner-up: Elina Svitolina
AFP via Getty Images
Winner: Ashleigh Barty Runner-up: Elina Svitolina
Getty Images
Winner: Ashleigh Barty Runner-up: Elina Svitolina
Getty Images
Winner: Stefanos Tsitsipas Runner-up: Dominic Thiem
Getty Images
Winner: Stefanos Tsitsipas Runner-up: Dominic Thiem
Getty Images
Moldova were one of the last nations to qualify for the inaugural tournament, which has already had to cope with the near-by bushfires that have ravaged New South Wales in recent weeks.
It is not the first time that such a blunder has been made in the sport, having suffered a similar scenario in 2017 when a banned verse of the German national anthem that dates back to the second world war was played ahead of their Fed Cup quarter-final against the United States.
The same happened 17 years ago ahead of the 2003 Davis Cup final when Spain’s pre-civil war republican anthem was played ahead of the match against Australia, which prompted then-sports minister Juan Antonio Gomez-Angulo to protest furiously from the stands and force the opposition’s captain John Fitzgerald to issue a public apology.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies