Djokovic disqualified from US Open for hitting lineswoman in throat with ball
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World No. 1 tennis player Novak Djokovic has been sensationally disqualified from the US Open for hitting a lineswoman in the throat with a ball.
The frustrated tournament favourite had just fallen behind 5-6 in the first set of his fourth round match against Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta when he hit a ball in the direction of the female official.
It struck her in the throat and she could be heard gasping.
Djokovic held up his hand in apology, then walked over to check she was OK and after a few minutes she got up and walked off the court. Following around 10 minutes of discussions with the tournament referee, the umpire declared that Carreno Busta had won by default.
“I don’t think anyone of us do this intentionally. It’s just the moment. It was bad luck,” the Spaniard said. “Of course you can’t do this. The rules are the rules. The referee and the supervisor do the right thing but it isn’t easy to make this decision.”
The astonishing incident occurred after the first set took a grim turn for Djokovic. He fell over during a service game and appeared to hurt his shoulder, then was facing three break points.
The 33-year-old saved the first but was eventually broken, prompting him to hit a ball behind him in anger. Djokovic wasn’t looking where he was aiming and the lineswoman never saw the ball coming until it was too late. Reports emerged suggesting Djokovic said: “She doesn’t have to go to the hospital for this.
“You’re going to choose a default in this situation? My career, grand slam, centre stage?” Tournament referee Soeren Friemel said later: “His point was that he didn’t hit the line umpire intentionally. He said, ‘Yes, I was angry. I hit the ball. I hit the line umpire. The facts are very clear. But it wasn’t my intent. I didn’t do it on purpose’.
“So he said he shouldn’t be defaulted for it. “And we all agree that he didn’t do it on purpose, but the facts are still that he hit the line umpire and the line umpire was clearly hurt.”
