Latest news with #TimHenman
Wales Online
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
French Open star kicks ball at line judge in outburst as Tim Henman embarrassed
French Open star kicks ball at line judge in outburst as Tim Henman embarrassed There were 'comical' scenes at Roland Garros as the controversial incident went unpunished Musetti narrowly avoided disqualification as Henman (inset) was reminded of a past incident (Image: TNT Sports ) Italian tennis star Lorenzo Musetti narrowly avoided disqualification from the French Open when he unintentionally kicked a ball into a line judge's chest in an on-court outburst. The 23-year-old, who reached the semi-finals of Wimbledon last year, went on to beat Frances Tiafoe of the United States 6-2 4-6 7-5 6-2 in the quarter-finals at Roland Garros on Tuesday, but risked a default in the controversial incident earlier in the match. Having lost game eight of the second set, he kicked away a stray ball in frustration only for it to hit the female official in the chest. The situation was flagged to the umpire by his opponent Tiafoe, but while Musetti received a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct, he was not disqualified from the competition as could have been the case. After apologising to the line judge, the number eight seed - who will now face Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals - said after his victory that the incident had been a "really unlucky coincidence". 'Honestly, I was a little bit scared, because I really didn't want to harm nobody, of course," Musetti added. 'So I immediately went to the line umpire, and of course I said sorry. I apologise to everyone. 'It was right to have a warning, but I think the umpire saw that there was no intention about that, and that's why probably just, you know, let me continue my game.' Article continues below However, a frustrated Tiafoe did not agree and claimed that the officials has been inconsistent in their implementation of the rules. "Obviously he did that and nothing happened," he said after being knocked out of the tournament. "I think that's comical, but it is what it is. Nothing happened, so there's nothing really to talk about. Obviously it's not consistent, so it is what it is.' Eliminations for such behaviour have occurred at the top of the game before, with Novak Djokovic disqualified from the US Open in 2020 for kicking away a ball which hit a line judge in the throat. Content cannot be displayed without consent Former British No.1 Tim Henman was also famously eliminated from Wimbledon in 1995 after hitting a ball girl in the head with a ball that he had hit away in frustration. That incident saw him and his doubles partner Jeremy Bates become the first players to be disqualified from a tournament in the Open era, and he was reminded of the moment when weighing in on the controversy surrounding Musetti as a pundit for TNT Sports. "By the letter of the law, if you hit a ball away, kick a ball away in frustration and it hits a ball boy or a line judge or the umpire, that can be a disqualification," said Henman. "And so when you look at that, the umpire could have interpreted that as a disqualification. 'However, if Musetti was disqualified for that, I think Musetti would feel very unlucky and very aggrieved. But if you're kicking a ball away you've either got to be a better footballer and kick it in the right direction, or you are risking something like that.' As the 50-year-old began to reference his own default in 1995, host Rachel Stringer couldn't resist teasing him over the incident as she said: "This man knows a lot about this! Because Tim, you did get disqualified once at a Grand Slam. I don't know if you can cast your minds back. Just tell everyone the story." Obliging, Henman explained: 'I was playing doubles with Jeremy Bates, we were two sets to one up and in a fourth set tiebreak so I'd like to think we were actually about to win the match and so it wasn't in sort of a fit of anger. I wasn't, on this occasion, throwing my toys out of the pram. 'But our opponents had hit two lucky shots, I had just served, I had a ball in my pocket, I was turning away to walk back to the baseline to return, and I hit the ball away in a little bit of frustration but I wasn't really looking. 'The ball girl was on the other side of the ent and she popped her head up to then run across to the other side and I hit her in the head. And that's a default.' Article continues below Continuing to poke fun at the pundit, Stringer laughed and added: "You can find this clip on social media and if you know Tim or you watch it, obviously he's a very good talker, it looks like you were trying your very best to plead with the umpire. "The clip is around three minutes and most of it is of Tim begging to stay on court." As the laughter continued, Henman said: 'Come on, just let me off," before adding: "No, it was my fault and I accepted responsibility. I bought the ball girl a nice bunch of flowers the next day and we've been friends ever since.'
The Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Shocking moment tennis star Musetti BOOTS ball at female line judge's chest sparking fan fury at French Open
ITALIAN STALLION Lorenzo Musetti risked a possible default from the French Open after he kicked a ball into a line judge's chest. The Wimbledon semi-finalist, 23, beat American Frances Tiafoe 6-2 4-6 7-5 6-2 in the quarter-finals at Roland Garros. 7 7 7 Yet he was fortunate not to be disqualified from the competition for his actions after losing game eight of the second set when he kicked a stray ball in frustration right at a female official. Tiafoe, 27, highlighted the situation to the umpire as he went to change racquets. In the end, the No.8 seed received a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct but it could have been much worse. There have been precedents for this – Novak Djokovic was eliminated from the 2020 US Open for the same thing and Tim Henman was famously KO-ed from Wimbledon for injuring a poor ball girl in 1995. Henman, working as an analyst on TNT Sports, said: 'By the letter of the law, if you hit or kick a ball away in frustration, and it hits a ballboy, line-judge or umpire that can be a disqualification. 'When you look at that, the umpire could have interpreted that as a disqualification. 'If Musetti was disqualified for that, he'd feel very unlucky and aggrieved. 'But when you're kicking a ball away, you've either got to be a better footballer and kick it in the right direction. Or you are risking something like that.' 7 7 Musetti – who showed off his muscles to the crowd when he won – is the third Italian, after Matteo Berrettini and Jannik Sinner, to reach semi-finals on multiple surfaces at Grand Slams. Boris Becker, the three-time Wimbledon champion, said: 'The German umpire Timo Janzen did an excellent job. Novak Djokovic digs out French Open rival for 'spying' on him and seeing Champions League trophy 'You can't disqualify Musetti over something like that. The warning was justified, but you can't compare it to Djokovic. 'The internet needs to calm down. Everyone's trying to be holier than the Pope. But let's keep things in perspective. It was a warning, not a disqualification.' Fans online were less forgiving than the two retired pros, making their feelings clear on social media. One asked: "How is this not a default??" While another added: "Djokovic was banned for a whole tournament for a lot less!" A third wrote: "Default. Rules are rules. Foe should be through. It's a disgrace." And a fourth posted: "Default. The inconsistency and double standards in decision-making is making me grow cold toward tennis." 7
The Independent
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Cameron Norrie out of French Open after convincing defeat to Novak Djokovic
Cameron Norrie limped out of the French Open after his best run at Roland Garros was ended by Novak Djokovic. The British number three, in the fourth round for the first time, needed treatment on a foot injury during a painful straight-sets defeat. Norrie was playing his biggest match since the 2022 Wimbledon semi-final, which he also lost to Djokovic. He did at least grab a set that day, but in Paris the 29-year-old was emphatically swept aside 6-2 6-3 6-2, a sixth career defeat in six meetings with the Serbian. Norrie had gone into the match buoyed by what he self-deprecatingly called the 'vintage, seven out of 10 tennis' he has been playing. But he did not even hit those modest highs as Djokovic eased to the first set. At the changeover Djokovic needed treatment on the blister that flared up during his second-round win over Corentin Moutet. It could not have been bothering him that much, however, as he had been partying with Paris St Germain's players at their Champions League parade the night before. 'Maybe he's not that concerned about playing Cam Norrie,' was the damning assessment of TNT Sports expert and former British number one Tim Henman. The celebrations even spilled over to Court Philippe-Chatrier, with PSG star Ousmane Dembele bringing out the European Cup before the match – which is the closest Norrie will get to a trophy this fortnight. Djokovic, meanwhile, still has designs on a fourth Roland Garros title, and a record 25th grand slam crown. His level briefly dipped at the start of the second set to give up a break, but that advantage was swiftly snuffed out. Norrie then needed his medical time-out after seeming to tweak something in his foot, before he was promptly broken as Djokovic moved two sets up. Another poor service game from Norrie gave Djokovic a foothold in the third and the 38-year-old duly wrapped up a comfortable win in a little over two hours. Still, it has been a successful campaign for Norrie, who should find himself back in the world's top 60 ahead of the grass season, having dipped as low as 91 following a rough couple of years. Djokovic will face German third seed Alexander Zverev, who came through against Tallon Griekspoor after the Dutchman retired injured in the second set, in the quarter-finals.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How super-fit Draper intimidates Bublik
Jack Draper has beaten Alexander Bublik in both their previous ATP Tour meetings [Getty Images] French Open 2025 Dates: 25 May-8 June Venue: Roland Garros Coverage: Live radio commentaries across 5 Live Sport and BBC Sounds, plus live text commentaries on the BBC Sport website and app "Last year the guy is 40 in the world, this year he is top four, that's a crazy achievement." Alexander Bublik is certainly not the first to take notice. Jack Draper has been turning heads all year. Advertisement The British number one's rise has been impossible to ignore. Draper has surged up the rankings in the past 12 months after following up a run to the US Open semi-finals last year with a series of impressive results in 2025, including claiming his first ATP Masters title at Indian Wells. Having progressed to the fourth round at French Open, Bublik is the next to try and stop the soon-to-be world number four. "Jack, for me, is insane," said Bublik. "I saw him first day here. I'm like, are you getting ready for UFC? "How can I beat him? I don't know. I will just go there, enjoy the time, show what I'm capable of showing." Advertisement In 23-year-old Draper, British tennis fans believe they may just have found their next serial Grand Slam contender. British former world number four Tim Henman told BBC Sport recently that Draper's best attributes - his left-handed serve and crunching forehand - could "work on any surface". Prior to this year, though, Draper had never won a match at the clay-court major with most of his success coming on hard courts or grass. However, he has made huge strides on the surface this season and reached his first clay final in Madrid in April. Managing to avoid the injuries that have plagued him in the past has enabled Draper to reach a significantly higher level of fitness, which has been key to his improvement on the slower surface. Advertisement Now just the world number 62 stands between him and another Grand Slam quarter-final. And while Draper has enjoyed the best year of his career, Bublik fell from a high of 17th in the rankings in 2024 to as low as 82nd in March. That prompted a radical change of approach that led to the Kazakh taking a trip to Las Vegas that month to blow off some steam. "My fall was not linked with lack of attitude and lack of practising," he said. "It was the exact opposite. I just burned out because I was waiting for the results to come. "I was like, if I practise more, if I hit better forehands, it will come. It didn't, and then I got to the point of 'OK, why am I sacrificing so much? For what?'" Advertisement Asked if the trip to Nevada was a training trip, Bublik added: "No, Vegas, Vegas, like a hangover thing Vegas. "It was a good three days. I had just let it all out. I said, I'm useless now, I can't win a match, so let it be, let's see how it goes." It worked as Bublik won his next event, the Challenger tournament in Phoenix, Arizona, having arrived from Vegas three hours before his first match. He also triumphed on clay in Turin last month. The 27-year-old is slowly climbing the rankings again - but Draper will be keen to ensure a first Grand Slam quarter-final appearance has to wait. Advertisement Norrie enjoying tennis again before Djokovic test Cameron Norrie faces three-time champion Novak Djokovic for a place in the French Open quarter-finals [Getty Images] For the first time since 1963, two British men have reached the fourth round at Roland Garros. Cameron Norrie is the other after victory over compatriot Jacob Fearnley set up a last-16 clash with 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic on Court Philippe Chatrier on Monday. World number 81 Norrie has struggled through a tough couple of years having risen to as high as eighth in the world in 2022. But the win over Fearnley means Norrie, 29, has now reached the fourth round at every Slam. "To make the second week for the first time is so, so good and at a time where I was not really stringing a lot of matches and a lot of wins together," he said. Advertisement "I was able to build from the momentum that I've really struggled to get from the last year and a half, for different reasons. "I've just been enjoying my tennis, and I think I wanted to do that again. It's another chance to play a really competitive match against one of the best players in the world."
BBC News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
'How can I beat him?'
French Open 2025Dates: 25 May-8 June Venue: Roland GarrosCoverage: Live radio commentaries across 5 Live Sport and BBC Sounds, plus live text commentaries on the BBC Sport website and app "Last year the guy is 40 in the world, this year he is top four, that's a crazy achievement."Alexander Bublik is certainly not the first to take notice. Jack Draper has been turning heads all British number one's rise has been impossible to has surged up the rankings in the past 12 months after following up a run to the US Open semi-finals last year with a series of impressive results in 2025, including claiming his first ATP Masters title at Indian progressed to the fourth round at French Open, Bublik is the next to try and stop the soon-to-be world number four."Jack, for me, is insane," said Bublik. "I saw him first day here. I'm like, are you getting ready for UFC?"How can I beat him? I don't know. I will just go there, enjoy the time, show what I'm capable of showing." In 23-year-old Draper, British tennis fans believe they may just have found their next serial Grand Slam former world number four Tim Henman told BBC Sport recently that Draper's best attributes - his left-handed serve and crunching forehand - could "work on any surface".Prior to this year, though, Draper had never won a match at the clay-court major with most of his success coming on hard courts or he has made huge strides on the surface this season and reached his first clay final in Madrid in to avoid the injuries that have plagued him in the past has enabled Draper to reach a significantly higher level of fitness, which has been key to his improvement on the slower just the world number 62 stands between him and another Grand Slam while Draper has enjoyed the best year of his career, Bublik fell from a high of 17th in the rankings in 2024 to as low as 82nd in prompted a radical change of approach that led to the Kazakh taking a trip to Las Vegas that month to blow off some steam."My fall was not linked with lack of attitude and lack of practising," he said."It was the exact opposite. I just burned out because I was waiting for the results to come."I was like, if I practise more, if I hit better forehands, it will come. It didn't, and then I got to the point of 'OK, why am I sacrificing so much? For what?'"Asked if the trip to Nevada was a training trip, Bublik added: "No, Vegas, Vegas, like a hangover thing Vegas."It was a good three days. I had just let it all out. I said, I'm useless now, I can't win a match, so let it be, let's see how it goes."It worked as Bublik won his next event, the Challenger tournament in Phoenix, Arizona, having arrived from Vegas three hours before his first match. He also triumphed on clay in Turin last 27-year-old is slowly climbing the rankings again - but Draper will be keen to ensure a first Grand Slam quarter-final appearance has to wait. Norrie enjoying tennis again before Djokovic test For the first time since 1963, two British men have reached the fourth round at Roland Norrie is the other after victory over compatriot Jacob Fearnley set up a last-16 clash with 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic on Court Philippe Chatrier on number 81 Norrie has struggled through a tough couple of years having risen to as high as eighth in the world in the win over Fearnley means Norrie, 29, has now reached the fourth round at every Slam."To make the second week for the first time is so, so good and at a time where I was not really stringing a lot of matches and a lot of wins together," he said."I was able to build from the momentum that I've really struggled to get from the last year and a half, for different reasons."I've just been enjoying my tennis, and I think I wanted to do that again. It's another chance to play a really competitive match against one of the best players in the world."
