The whole ugly scene proved too much for Team GB’s Johanna Konta as she began to cry on courtBT Sport
It was 1-1 after the end of play on Saturday, when former world number one Nastase was banned for swearing at the umpire, Konta and GB captain Anne Keothavong.
Konta was beating Sorana Cirstea 6-2 1-2 in the second rubber of the World Group II play-off when Nastase lost the plot.
Nastase was asked to move from the side of the court, then when he shifted into the stands, he was told to exit the stadium.
Johanna Konta was in tears on the court as the Romanian crowd began to apparently hurl abuse
He was reportedly swearing at officials and journalists as he was escorted out by security and was reportedly heard to say to the umpire: “What’s your f***ing problem?”
He made the tasteless comments against the US Champ in Romanian during a Q&A ahead of his country’s Fed Cup match with Great Britain.
Ilie Nastase has become embroiled in controversy since retiring from tennisGetty ImagesKonta was then seen remonstrating with the umpire and officials, as Nastase watched onBT Sport
Nastase was also sexist towards Keothavong, asking her twice for her hotel room number at a pre-tournament press conference.
Keothavong had to comforted her Team GB player after she began to receive abuse from the home crowd, before eventually regaining her composure against Cirstea.
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Team GB captain Anne Keothavong was clearly unhappy with what was being said by Ilie NastaseBT Sport
It reduced her to tears – but Cirstea afterwards claimed 25-year-old Konta used the situation to her advantage and said her opponent was too soft.
But she has had to defend those accusations after crumbling against Romanian opponent Halep today, before team-mate Heather Watson lost to Irina-Camelia Begu to seal the defeat.
Konta revealed how affected she has been by the abuse on the first day of the match when Nastase labelled her and Keothavong a "f***ing b****".
She said: "With all due respect to Sorana she wasn't on my side of the court, she didn't feel verbally threatened. She wasn't in my shoes.
"I think there may have been a lack of communication to her about what was going on on my side of the court and I do believe she only had half of the facts but I think nobody should have to put up with – in life or in any way – to feel verbally threatened and subjected to that sort of abuse.
"I've never had anything like that before, I've never been in an environment like that before.
"Hopefully in a few days time or a week or however long it takes it will be something I look back on and say: 'Well yes, at least that's under my belt and another great experience.'"
"But it's not something I would wish on anyone to go through."
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