US Open: Djokovic disqualified after hitting line judge with ball

Prime-seeded Novak Djokovic has been defaulted from his fourth-round match on the US Open after he by accident hit a line choose with a tennis ball.

It was a shocking finish to Djokovic’s bid for an 18th Grand Slam title and his 26-Zero begin to this season.

“In accordance with the Grand Slam rulebook, following his actions of deliberately hitting a ball dangerously or recklessly throughout the courtroom or hitting a ball with negligent disregard of the results, the U.S. Open event referee defaulted Novak Djokovic from the 2020 U.S. Open,” the US Tennis Affiliation introduced.

“As a result of he was defaulted,” the USTA assertion continued, “Djokovic will lose all rating factors earned on the U.S. Open and shall be fined the prize cash received on the event along with all or any fines levied with respect to the offending incident.”

With 2019 champion Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer not within the area this 12 months, Djokovic arrived in New York because the overwhelming favourite.

But it surely all got here aside Saturday at Arthur Ashe Stadium, when Djokovic had simply misplaced a sport to his opponent, Pablo Carreno Busta, to fall behind 6-5 within the first set.

As he walked to the sideline for the changeover, Djokovic smacked a ball behind him. The ball hit a feminine line choose, who dropped to her knees behind the courtroom in New York Metropolis.

.@pablocarreno91 is thru to the #USOpen quarter-finals after Novak Djokovic is defaulted. pic.twitter.com/bXRHXsBTk7

— ATP Tour (@atptour) September 6, 2020

Djokovic instantly apologised and stood over her earlier than changing into concerned in a prolonged trade with the event referee.

Below the foundations of the sport there isn’t any choice aside from a default and regardless of Djokovic’s pleadings that he had not meant to hit the official, he was finally disqualified.

After a dialogue of a number of minutes with officers on courtroom, Djokovic walked over to shake palms with Carreno Busta, and the default was introduced.

Tim Henman, who was disqualified from Wimbledon for the same incident in 1995, instructed Amazon Prime it was “the fitting determination”.

“He’s not aiming for the road choose, however has hit the ball away and you must be answerable for your actions,” he stated.

Alexander Zverev, the event’s No. 5-seeded man who reached the quarterfinals by successful on Sunday, stated the incident was “very unfortunate for Novak”.

“If it could have landed wherever else – we’re speaking a couple of inches – he would have been nice,” he stated.

US Open awaits new winner

Djokovic’s departure means there isn’t any man remaining within the area who beforehand has received a Grand Slam singles title. Whoever emerges as champion would be the first first-time main trophy winner in males’s tennis since 2014, when Marin Cilic received the US Open.

Plus, every of the final 13 Grand Slam trophies had been received by a member of the Huge Three of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic.

“Going to be a brand new Grand Slam champion, (that is) all I do know. No Grand Slam champions left within the draw. Now it will get fascinating,” stated Zverev, who beat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 Sunday. “Now I believe is the time when it will get actually fascinating.”