Back to the Tennis Newsfeed

Ball Boy Struck by Racket as Tempers Flare at ASB Classic

AUCKLAND, New Zealand — A tennis match at the ASB Classic turned into a heated spat between two players on Wednesday after Naomi Broady accused Jelena Ostapenko of deliberately throwing her racket and hitting a ball boy.

Ostapenko was running for a shot during the second-set tiebreak when her racket flew out of her hand, hit the back wall and then hit a ball boy on the shoulder.

Broady immediately protested to chair umpire Blaze Trifunobski that Ostapenko should be disqualified. The ball boy was summoned and questioned by the umpire as the British player protested to Trifunobski, then to tour supervisor Tony Cho.