Many tennis fans chuckled to see Novak Djokovic exit from the US open not because his game was inferior but because the line umpire got a ball hit.
It was an inadvertent hit by him sending ball blindly in the direction of the court end wall. No deliberate hit no malice intended at all and it was one-in-a-million chance for ball to hit her and it did because she was slow to avoid the hit or inattentive to what's happening on court.
Don't line umpires know that they are in line of balls constantly and they must be alert to such unintended missiles to avoid getting hit. That's a hazard they have to face when they opt for that job. They have to avoid getting hit by a quick moves or face the injury.
When the video was played it showed she did nothing to avoid getting hit. A simple quick turn would have saved her. Thus a slow acting umpire can be a hazard to players.
But poor Djoko paid dearly by getting thrown out of match. His only fault was that umpire was slow in avoiding the ball.
It was natural act - no abuses, no throwing chair in a fit of temper.Very unfair exit. -Avinash B., Dubai
Published: Sat 12 Sep 2020, 9:46 AM
Updated: Sat 12 Sep 2020, 11:49 AM