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NEW YORK (Reuters) – World No. 1 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 the Spanish Pablo Carreño Busta.
Djokovic was getting frustrated after blowing three set points when Carreño Busta served at 4-5, 0-40 and then suffered a knockdown. Having dropped serve to go 5-6, he hit a reasonably hard ball down the court, inadvertently hitting a female linesman in the area of his throat.
With the linesman screaming in pain as he fell from his chair, a horrified Djokovic rushed over to her and apologized.
Tournament referee Soeren Friemel stepped out to Arthur Ashe Stadium and spoke with chair umpire Aurelie Tourte and Andreas Egli, the Grand Slam supervisor, before a lengthy chat with the 33-year-old Serbian, three-time US Open winner .
Djokovic was making it clear that he had not intended to hit the officer and was heard saying “she doesn’t have to go to the hospital for this.”
After 12 minutes of pleading, Djokovic’s fate was sealed.
The Grand Slam rules state: “Players shall not physically abuse at any time any official, opponent, spectator or other person within the venue of the tournament site.
“The referee, in consultation with the Grand Slam chief supervisors, may declare a foul for a single violation of this code.”
Djokovic eventually reached out to shake hands with a stunned Carreño Busta and trudged away to face the music, though he later left the grounds in a black Tesla without attending a press conference.
It was a shocking finale to the top seed’s hopes of winning an 18th Grand Slam title and being within two of Roger Federer’s total men’s record won, something that seemed increasingly likely as the fortnight progressed.
It also ended Djokovic’s 26-0 winning streak since the beginning of the year, albeit under strange circumstances.
The USTA issued a statement saying that Djokovic would lose all qualifying points earned in the event and will be fined $ 250,000, his prize money for reaching the fourth round.
“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 for the linesman, but he has hit the ball and you have to be responsible for your actions.” .
Former champion Mats Wilander, analyzing the action for Eurosport, said that it was very bad luck for Djokovic but that it had been the right decision.
“You are not allowed to do that,” he said. “It’s all the bad luck you can have on a tennis court. He didn’t just roll the ball back to the ball boy, that’s the bottom line.”
“It hit him harder than he intended, obviously a total accident. It was a sign of frustration, yes. A little. But it doesn’t matter, you don’t have permission to.”
WIDE OPEN
The incredible development has opened the tie, especially with defending champion Rafa Nadal and Federer absent this year. Nadal chose not to travel to New York due to concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic, while Federer recovers from knee surgery.
The failure of a world number one sent shockwaves around Flushing Meadows, which has witnessed many crazy events over the years, including two high-profile incidents involving Serena Williams, the most recent in the final. of 2018 against Naomi Osaka when a game was docked near the end.
“I’m a little shocked at the moment, to be honest,” Alexander Zverev told reporters after his own fourth round win.
“If I had hit it anywhere else, if it had landed anywhere else, we’re talking a few inches, it would have been fine.”
Carreño Busta will now face the quarterfinals against Denis Shapovalov or seventh seed David Goffin.
A tournament spokesperson told Reuters that the linesman “appears to be fine and was not removed from the site.”
His identity is unknown.
Djokovic’s humiliating departure continues what has been a turbulent few months for him. He was criticized for hosting the Adria Tour exhibition event in June in which he and several players tested positive for COVID-19.
He then dropped a bombshell on the eve of the Open by announcing that he had stepped down as chairman of the ATP Players Council to head a new players association.
(Information from Martyn Herman, Additional Information from Amy Tennery, Editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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