Novak Djokovic was sensationally disqualified from the US Open on Sunday after hitting a linesman with a ball during their round of 16 match. The world number one fell 5-6 down in the first set to Spanish Pablo Carreño Busta when he hit a ball in the direction of the female official. He hit her in the throat and she was heard gasping. Djokovic rushed to check that he was okay and after a few minutes got up and left the court. After about ten minutes of discussions with the tournament referee, the referee declared that Carreño Busta had won by default. Djokovic shook Carreño Busta’s hand before leaving the field.
The Serbian star is one of the few players to have been disqualified from a men’s singles tournament at a Grand Slam since John McEnroe was expelled from the Australian Open in 1990.
Djokovic had been chasing an 18th Grand Slam title at the US Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
He was hoping to close the gap with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, both absent from the tournament, in the race for the all-time record for the men’s singles Slam title.
Djokovic is 17, Nadal 19 and Federer 20.
Previously, American Jennifer Brady led a day of surprises in the women’s field.
Brady, the 28th seed, stunned Germany’s Angelique Kerber, a three-time Grand Slam winner, and reached the Grand Slam quarter-finals for the first time in her career.
It took the 25-year-old just 1 hour and 29 minutes to sweep the 17th seed 6-1, 6-4 to move to the last eight at Flushing Meadows.
“It’s unbelievable. Hopefully it continues,” he told reporters.
Brady, whose best previous Slams appearances were fourth-round finals at the Australian and US Opens three years ago, attributed his career to getting in shape.
Brady will play Yulia Putintseva for a place in the bottom four after 23rd seed from Kazakhstan surprised eighth seed Petra Martic from Croatia elsewhere on Sunday.
Putintseva displayed a series of exquisitely placed shots as she sent Martic down 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 in 2 hours and 37 minutes inside Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Later, two-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka seeks to move into the last eight at the expense of 14th Estonian seed Anett Kontaveit.
Sixth seed Petra Kvitova is also in action against American Shelby Rogers.
In Sunday’s men’s draw, fifth seed Alexander Zverev became the first German to reach the US Open round of 16 since Tommy Haas in 2007.
Promoted
Zverev, the fifth seed, swept away Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 in just 1 hour and 34 minutes.
Later in the men’s draw, seventh-seeded Belgian David Goffin faces Canadian Denis Shapovalov.
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