The tennis star raised eyebrows with his mid-game stunt.

Francisco Comesana took the time to have a cigarette break (Image: Getty)

Tennis star Francisco Comesana was so desperate to light a cigarette, he did so courtside at the Miami Open. The Argentine had been competing against Michael Mmoh in a qualifying match when he was spotted taking a drag mid-match.

Comesana won the first set against the American, with the 24-year-old retiring to his seat in Miami for a quick cigarette break. What’s more, Comesana even had the cheek to ask the umpire if he could light it for him.

Speaking to the official, Comesana asked: “Excuse me, do you have a light.” Unsurprisingly, the umpire remained unmoved by the request.

It proved a good luck charm for Comesana, who went on to beat Mmoh in straight sets, securing a 6-3, 6-4 victory. As a result, he progressed into the second qualifying match, which he also won, this time against Shintaro Mochizuki. Comesana beat the Japanese ace 7-6 (7-4), 7-5 to move into the main draw.

However, the cigarette-wielding tennis star would see his tournament come to an end in the first round proper when he was paired up against teenage sensation Federico Cina. It wasn’t for a lack of trying on Comesana’s part, as Cina needed deciders in both sets, eventually winning the match 6-7 (4-7), 6-7 (2-7).

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With the win, Cina became the first player born in 2007 to win an ATP 1000 tournament, with the Italian reflecting on his epic victory by saying: “I’m very happy. It was very difficult. But I’m very happy to win. I started the match very good, played a very good tie-break. Then in the second set, I was [ahead] 5-2, then I got cramps. But it was very good to stay there every point.”

The 17-year-old comes from a tennis-loving family and is coached by his father Francesco – an ex-coach to Italian tennis star Roberta Vinci. Francesco, who also runs a tennis academy in Palermo, said of his son: “Federico really likes this life and doesn’t feel the pressure at the moment; he enjoys doing what he loves.

“Federico feels better on clay and hard courts, but overall he prefers to play on hard court. He needs to improve his serve, and this will happen with physical growth. During preparation, we worked well on this fundamental, and I am sure that in the coming months he will be able to serve even better. His forehand is showing great improvements, while his two-handed backhand remains his best shot.”

Cina faces the biggest game of his fledgling career against Grigor Dimitrov in Miami on Friday.