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http://www.news.com.au/sport/tennis...d/news-story/3786051ebf7139954d2f8c6adb06130f
Italian player disqualified from Australian Open for hitting ballkid
JANUARY 23, 201710:46AM
Maria Vittoria Viviani immediately apologised after hitting a ballkid.
A 17-YEAR-OLD Italian junior tennis player has been sensationally disqualified from the Australian Open after hitting a ballkid.
Maria Vittoria Viviani reportedly left the court in tears after she was automatically defaulted midway through her first round match against Chinese opponent Xin Yu Wang.
Viviani reacted in frustration after sailing a forehand long on set point in the first set and hit a spare ball to her left.
It wasn’t hit with any great force but reportedly made contact with the chest of a ballkid. Viviani raised her hand in an apologetic fashion immediately but the chair umpire was not in a forgiving mood.
Wang automatically progressed to a second round match against Swiss first seed Rebeka Masarova, prompting angry reaction on social media.
“Terrible decision to default Maria Vittoria Viviani. The offending umpire should be defaulted from the competition,” one wrote on Twitter.
Another called the decision utterly absurd. “Sorry for the disqualification today. One thing ABSURD. Always future champion ahead!”
“What a load of bs! She hit it softly and clearly wasn’t trying to hit and hurt the ball boy. Joke.”
Others suggested there was an element of double standards when Kei Nishikori also hit a ball kid with a tennis ball during his five-set defeat to Roger Federer on Rod Laver Arena but did not suffer the same fate as Viviani.
“Both Nishikori & a female junior swatted balls away, making contact w ball kid. But only one of them was DQ-ed!”
Viviani is the 117th ranked female junior in the world and won’t remember this trip Down Under fondly after also losing in the first round of the Traralgon Junior International.
Italian player disqualified from Australian Open for hitting ballkid
JANUARY 23, 201710:46AM
Maria Vittoria Viviani immediately apologised after hitting a ballkid.
A 17-YEAR-OLD Italian junior tennis player has been sensationally disqualified from the Australian Open after hitting a ballkid.
Maria Vittoria Viviani reportedly left the court in tears after she was automatically defaulted midway through her first round match against Chinese opponent Xin Yu Wang.
Viviani reacted in frustration after sailing a forehand long on set point in the first set and hit a spare ball to her left.
It wasn’t hit with any great force but reportedly made contact with the chest of a ballkid. Viviani raised her hand in an apologetic fashion immediately but the chair umpire was not in a forgiving mood.
Wang automatically progressed to a second round match against Swiss first seed Rebeka Masarova, prompting angry reaction on social media.
“Terrible decision to default Maria Vittoria Viviani. The offending umpire should be defaulted from the competition,” one wrote on Twitter.
Another called the decision utterly absurd. “Sorry for the disqualification today. One thing ABSURD. Always future champion ahead!”
“What a load of bs! She hit it softly and clearly wasn’t trying to hit and hurt the ball boy. Joke.”
Others suggested there was an element of double standards when Kei Nishikori also hit a ball kid with a tennis ball during his five-set defeat to Roger Federer on Rod Laver Arena but did not suffer the same fate as Viviani.
“Both Nishikori & a female junior swatted balls away, making contact w ball kid. But only one of them was DQ-ed!”
Viviani is the 117th ranked female junior in the world and won’t remember this trip Down Under fondly after also losing in the first round of the Traralgon Junior International.
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