TOP seed Briton Jeremy Bates told off a linesman for wearing sunglasses during his 6-4, 6-0 first-round victory over Japan's lucky loser Hideki Kaneko in the Richard Ellis Challenger yesterday at Victoria Park.
Bates, who has been plying the circuit for 11 years, asked the linesman to remove his sunglasses as he thought the official was unable to do his job properly.
''I'm a professional player and I expect the people involved to be professional. What he did was not professional,'' said Bates.
American Jonathan Canter, winner of the 1988 Hong Kong Satellite event, failed to turn up for the start of the tournament.
Canter, formerly ranked in the world's top 30, did not meet yesterday's deadline and was considered by the organisers to have pulled out at the 11th hour.
The 186-ranked player is expected to be disciplined by the Association of Tennis Professionals' for withdrawing without any reason or notice.
