at The Shanghai Masters has made headlines around the world after a chair umpire got a ball whacked into his face by an angry Australian tennis player. The video clip has since gone viral and has embarrassed 140th ranked Marc Polmans.
What Did Marc Polmans Do?
Polmans won his first round match at the Shanghai Masters and faced Italian Stefano Napolitano in R2. The first set went into a tie breaker and Polmans had a great opportunity to close out the set but squandered a set point by hitting the ball into the net. The ball bounced back and Polmans in anger whacked the ball straight into umpire Ben Anderson’s face.
Polmans action was unintentional which is clear from the video clip and he was shocked to see what he did. His actions caused him to be suspended from the tournament and no payment will be made even though he won R1.
ATP rules are very clear on abuse of balls and does not allow players to hit balls in anger, something that Polmans violated. This incident will hopefully be a deterrent for other players to keep their emotions in check and think twice when it comes to ball abuse!
