World No. 1 Novak Djokovic withdrew from the 2020 US Open in a strange way as he was missed during the first set of his fourth-round match on Sunday for hitting a line with the ball.
US Open 2020: Novak Djokovic was disqualified after he hit a line with the ball during their fourth round match (Reuters Photo)
HIGHLIGHT
- Novak Djokovic breached after hitting a referee with the ball
- Djokovic expressed his frustration after losing 5-6 in the 1st set
- Djokovic immediately apologized to the linesman and stood next to her.
World number one Novak Djokovic was sensationally disqualified in the fourth round of the US Open on Sunday after hitting a linesman with a ball after a point during the first set of his match against Spain’s Pablo Carreño Busta. .
Djokovic was getting frustrated after failing to take the first set and suffering a knockdown and having dropped serve to fall behind 5-6, he hit a reasonably hard ball down the court, hitting a female linesman. .
He immediately apologized and stood next to her before engaging in a lengthy exchange with the tournament referee.
Watch video: Novak Djokovic accidentally hits the linesman with a ball
“There is no way Novak Djokovic can look worse this year”
Djokovic:pic.twitter.com/lNakdpAxDD
– Eoin Sheahan (@EoinSheahan) September 6, 2020
According to the rules of the game, there is no other option but a breach and despite Djokovic’s allegations that he had not intended to hit the referee, he was ultimately disqualified.
Djokovic shook the hand of a stunned Carreño Busta and trudged away to face the music.
It was an incredible ending to the first seed’s hopes of winning an 18th Grand Slam title, something that seemed increasingly likely as the fortnight progressed.
“It’s the right decision,” Tim Henman, who was disqualified from Wimbledon for a similar incident in 1995, told Amazon Prime. “He’s not aiming at the linesman, but he has hit the ball and you have to be responsible for your actions.
