An ugly incident occurred in the opening match of the French Open.
Terrence Atmane faced Sebastian Offner on Court 12 in a five-set match.
But there was a disturbing moment in the fourth set when Atmane lost his temper after returning Offner’s serve long, drawing the attention of fans.
Atmane unleashed a powerful forehand shot that hit a spectator in the stands and flew into the bleachers.
When the umpire and manager met to discuss the incident, Offner immediately called for the opponent to be disqualified.
The match was halted for nearly 15 minutes as the referee and manager spoke to the fan, but eventually Atmane was given a warning and allowed to play on.
The incident quickly went viral on social media, with fans confused as to why Atmane was not disqualified.
Journalist Jose Morgado wrote: “On court 12, Atmane became so frustrated that he hurled the ball at a spectator. Offner asked for a disqualification, but the umpire and coach disagreed. The decision came as a surprise.”
“I really hope Offner wins because Atmane played horribly and should have been disqualified,” Fox Sports US reporter Chris Fallica wrote.
“For me it was a little surprising because when you do that on a small court you have to get punished,” Offner said after his 3-6, 4-6, 7-6 (2), 6-2, 7-5 victory.
“I didn’t just hit the ball normally. I hit it with all my might. The ball was going so fast. It went straight into the stands. Some people got disqualified for hitting it less hard.”
Offner was asked what explanation he had received from tournament officials who came to the court to investigate what had happened.
“The umpire said, ‘Yeah, I was talking to the lady and she said it hurt at first but now she’s OK and everything’s OK. She saw the ball coming so it’s not enough to disqualify her,'” Offner said. “I think if the umpire had seen what happened he might have made a different decision.”
“If you’re a little bit more unlucky, the ball could hit you directly in the face and break your nose or something.”
At last year’s French Open, a women’s doubles pair was sensationally disqualified after a player accidentally lobbed the ball and it hit a ball kid, prompting their opponents to call for a disqualification.
Offner now awaits his second-round opponent.
