Novak Djokovic disqualified ! .. .. and his fans act mercilessly insane !!

Novak Djokovic and his petulant tendencies flirted with disaster but his fans are real insane ! mad mad hooligans !!

2020 US Open is the 140^th  edition of tennis' US Open and the second Grand Slam event of the year. It is held on outdoor hard courts at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York.  For the first time since 2014 - there will now emerge a first-time men’s singles Grand Slam champion. Rafael Nadal and Bianca Andreescu were the men's and women's singles defending champions; however, both decided not to compete. Nadal withdrew from the tournament citing safety concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, while Andreescu stated that the pandemic had compromised her ability to prepare and compete at her highest level.

 

Pablo Carreño Busta  is a Spanish professional tennis player,  is ranked world No. 30 in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), and reached a career high of No. 10 in  2017.  In the Corona affected US Oprn, yhr  No. 27 from Spain, had just broken Djokovic and earned himself the chance to serve for the first set. That, in itself, would have been a surprise. But what followed was truly remarkable. Djokovic hit a ball in disgust towards the back of the court. It hit a line judge in the throat. Regardless of intent, and a long conversation with officials, he had to be defaulted, bringing his 26-match winning streak to a bitter, extraordinary end. Carreno Busta did not rejoice in his unlikely victory and admitted he felt sorry for the top seed but added ‘the rules are the rules’. ‘No, of course I think this was not intentional,’ said Carreno Busta. ‘I don’t think that any one of us, of the players, does this kind of thing intentionally, you know.

Novak Djokovic and his petulant tendencies flirted with disaster once too often on Sunday night when he was sensationally defaulted from the US Open. The world number one was kicked out of Flushing Meadows as, in a flash of temper that has become too common, he angrily swiped a ball away that struck a female line judge, Laura Clark, in the throat. After initially pleading that the woman was not seriously hurt, Djokovic eventually walked off and later apologised for 'causing her such stress', saying his swipe was 'so unintended, so wrong'.   

Djokovic was serving at 5-5 in the opening set, and was broken at a crucial stage – which meant his opponent would be serving for the set in the next game. In frustration, as he walked back to the baseline, Djokovic took the ball in his pocket and without looking, hit it fairly hard towards the left corner. The ball caught the line umpire square on the neck, and she immediately tumbled to the ground, clutching at the point of impact. The Serb superstar immediately raised his arm in apology and went over to check on the line umpire. The chair umpire Aurélie Tourte followed, and the tournament referee Soeren Friemel, and Grand Slam Supervisor Andreas Egli too were called on court. After a 10-minute discussion, Friemel made the decision to default Djokovic. He later told reporters: “Based on the facts that the ball was hit angrily, recklessly; that it went straight at the line umpire’s throat; that the line umpire was clearly hurt and in pain, the decision was made that Novak had to be defaulted.” Massive favourite for the tournament, the 33 year-old Serb had already been showing signs at frustration at the resistance being put up by Spain's Pablo Carreno Busta when he was broken for 5-6 in the opening set.

After all of Novak Djokovic’s off-court controversies in the past few months, an on-court misdemeanour has resulted in him being defaulted from the US Open. The in-form World No. 1 was an overwhelming favourite when he inadvertently struck a line umpire.  Conspiracy theorists may say the harsh decision was a way for the governing bodies to get back at him for forming a rival players’ association a day before the US Open, but the decision was by the book. And it’s something that even Tim Henman – the darling of British tennis – faced at Wimbledon in 1995.

The line judge was named last night as Laura Clark, a tennis lover from Owensboro, Kentucky who worked her way up from junior and college tournaments to officiate at the sport's showpiece events such as the US Open and Davis Cup.  While Djokovic was clearly not aiming for her, the ball hit Clark, who keeled over. The rules are quite clear: he had to go. Referee Soeren Friemel was summoned onto court inside the deserted Arthur Ashe Stadium by umpire Aurelie Tourte. Djokovic was told, after plenty of debate, that there was no option.

That moment his anger overtook him cost him career, Grand Slam, centre stage? In an apology posted to Instagram, Djokovic said the situation has left him feeling 'really sad and empty' .. .. After becoming enthralled by watching 1990s tennis stars Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras, Clark worked her way up from junior and college tournaments to officiate at the sport's showpiece events such as the US Open and Davis Cup.  Speaking to local magazine Owensboro Living in 2014, Clark said she had previously had a lip busted by a 130mph serve at a tournament in Louisville. 'The only times we are seen by the people are during our mess-ups. Period,' she said.  'The first time you are on a big court it is terrifying, and it is the coolest, most terrifying experience in the whole world. You are shaking so hard and you're sure they can see you shaking.' However, she said she sympathised with top players and the pressure they were under - saying there are 'no calls that are not significant'.  Clark has sat in the umpire's chair and acted as tournament referee as well as being a line judge, saying that being a tennis official is 'not something you are going to make a huge amount of money doing' - but adding that 'I would do it for free'.

Friends said last night that she was not seriously hurt by the ball to the throat, and Djokovic offered her an apology for having 'caused her so much stress'.  'Defaulting a player at a Grand Slam is a very important, very tough decision. And for that reason, it doesn't matter if it's on Ashe, if it's No 1, or any other player on any other court, you need to get it right.'  Djokovic quickly left the stadium afterwards without attending the mandatory press conference to explain himself. That refusal from the newly self-appointed head of a players' union quickly drew criticism from ex British number one Greg Rusedski, among others.

Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios asked a question on Twitter: 'Swap me for jokers (Djokovic) incident. 'Accidentally hitting the ball kid in the throat' how many years would I be banned for?'  This was arguably the most dramatic disqualification since British umpire Gerry Armstrong, now the Wimbledon Referee, booted John McEnroe from the Australian Open 1990 for verbal abuse.

That is not all over !  .. .. .. 'You'll join your dead son soon': US Open line judge who was struck by ball hit by Novak Djokovic is bombarded with death threats on Instagram by trolls mocking her son's death in cycling accident as tennis star is fined $10,000n  .. .. that simply is hooliganism ! – she did nothing wrong and it was Novak’s own making and yet they issue death threats and mock her son’s death.  Heartless and shameful !!  

The US Open line judge hit in the throat with a ball by Novak Djokovic has been subjected to vile online abuse after fans of the world No 1 discovered her Instagram account. Laura Clark, from Owensboro, Kentucky, was catapulted into the spotlight on Sunday night after Djokovic inadvertently hit her with a stray tennis ball, resulting in him being disqualified from the US Open. Clark went down instantly, seemingly in considerable pain, before Djokovic came to check whether she was okay. The match was then defaulted and the Serbian kicked out of the tournament. The world No 1 has been stripped of his $250,000 (£190,000) in prize money for reaching the last-16 and fined an additional $10,000 (£7,600) for 'unsportsmanlike behaviour'. Trolls were quick to take to social media today, finding Clark's public profile and sending thousands of hate-filled messages, including death threats.  Clark's son died in 2008, and one of Djokovic's fans told her 'don't worry, you'll join him soon'.  Clark's son Josh died in 2008 from a bicycle accident at the age of just 25.  Almost every post on Clark's Instagram account - going as far back as her first picture in September 2011 - has been spammed with comments from Djokovic's fans, with many calling her 'sick' and an 'alcoholic'.

Djokovic had looked extremely likely to add to his seventeen Major titles before his disqualification at the US Open and had been in imperious form, boasting a 26-0 record for 2020 which may have extended to the end of this strange season.

The disqualification is a massive blow to his hopes of usurping Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, both absent from Flushing Meadows, who stand on nineteen and twenty Grand Slam titles respectively.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

7.9.2020.