This is the last thing you’d expect to happen in the opening round of the Australian Open junior girl’s competition…
Young Italian tennis player Maria Vittoria Viviani was instantly dismissed from the court after hitting a ballkid during her match against Chinese player Xin Yu Wang.
After losing the first set (6-2) in the opening round of the Australian Open junior girls’ competition, Viviani lent back and sliced a ball to the side of the court.
Before the ball hit the ballkid, it is believed that Viviani was already holding her hand up, apologising.
She was then disqualified from the competition and left the court in tears.
While the footage of the 17-year-old Italian slicing the ball at the youngster, reportedly hitting them in the chest, wasn’t caught on film, courtside journalists allege that the ball only hit the child lightly.
Yahoo Seven Sport are calling the penalty “incredibly harsh” – and other tennis fans agree.
As reported by the Herald Sun, one online user stated: “She hit it softly and clearly wasn’t trying to hit and hurt the ball boy. Joke.”
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