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Novak Djokovic deserved to be disqualified from the US Open when he hit a linesman with reckless but unintentional abuse of the ball, former Serbia Davis Cup coach Bogdan Obradovic said.
World number one Djokovic was disqualified as he trailed Spain’s Pablo Carreño Busta 6-5 in the first set of his fourth-round tie on Sunday, hitting a linesman with a smug ball hit.
The incident occurred after Djokovic squandered three set points on his opponent’s serve and then dropped his, giving the Spaniard the initiative.
“He ran a red light,” said Obradovic, who was in charge of a Serbian team led by Djokovic that lifted the 2010 Davis Cup.
“I feel sorry for him because he was in good shape and on his way to winning his 18th Grand Slam title, but the rules on racket and ball abuse are clear and apply to everyone.
“He crawled into the mud making a foolish mistake under unfortunate circumstances. We are all human and we all vent our frustrations at times, but there is no excuse for putting someone in danger, even if it is unintentionally.
“The most important thing is that the lady is fine and people who say it was not so bad should revisit that position and put themselves in her place.”
Serbian fans jumped to Djokovic’s defense on message boards after the incident, with some suggesting that the linesman hit by the ball “embellished his pain” and reacted as if he had been “hit by a soccer ball.”
Obradovic’s teammate Radmilo Armenulic, who coached Yugoslavia’s former Davis Cup team in the 1980s and 1990s, told Reuters he was surprised by the decision, although he acknowledged that Djokovic was also to blame.
“To be honest, I was expecting a more lenient punishment because Djokovic saved this year’s US Open by entering the tournament amid the coronavirus pandemic,” he said.
“(Rafa) Nadal has retired and (Roger) Federer is recovering from knee surgery, so they really needed him there. But it’s like they can’t wait to kick him out.
“On the other hand, he gave them reasons with a reckless reaction. Very unfortunate, but he will recover from this and move on because he is mentally strong.”
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