Davis Cup umpire smashed in face by rogue tennis ball after player tantrum

Britain has reached the Davis Cup quarter-finals in bizarre circumstances after Canadian player Denis Shapovalov was defaulted for inadvertently blasting a ball into the umpire's face.

Shapovalov, 17, had lost the first two sets against Kyle Edmund in the fifth and deciding rubber when he hammered the ball away in a fit of rage at 2-1 down in the third set.

Although he meant to hit it into the stands, the stray ball flew straight into the left eye of umpire Arnaud Gabas.

The stadium was stunned into silence as Shapovalov rushed to check on Gabas' wellbeing. Gabas held his hands to his left eye, as he began to come to terms with what had transpired.

The Frenchman iced the wound but could not continue and had no option but to disqualify Wimbledon boys' champion Shapovalov.

Gabas was being taken to Ottawa General Hospital for a precautionary evaluation.

Canadian team-mate Vasek Pospisil insisted on Twitter that the outburst was out of character for Shapovalov.

Edmund had taken the first two sets 6-3, 6-4 and seemed on the way to victory in the third when everyone inside the arena was shocked by the sudden turn of events.

"It is a surprise what happened at the end there and it is a shame," Britain's captain Leon Smith told the BBC.

"I feel for the young lad. He's a great talent and he has learned a harsh lesson."

"But Kyle, from what we saw on Friday to today, was fantastic. How he prepared, how he took command, his unbelievable serving and he kept pressure on the turns. It was a great performance."

The win capped a fine comeback for Britain, who had come into the day leading 2-1 before Pospisil levelled the world group first round tie with a 7-6 6-4 3-6 7-6 win over Dan Evans.

The victory means Britain will head to France for a quarter-final tie scheduled for April 7-9

Reuters/ABC

Author: 
www.abc.net.au