"Djokovic was control of the match and his opponent appeared to be close to retiring from the match as he struggled with a shoulder problem in the second set. Yet Van de Zandschulp recovered and was fighting his way back into contention when Djokovic lost his composure. After his opponent missed his shot, Djokovic lashed out and smashed the ball in anger that flew past the ball kid at the net at high speed."
"If the ball had taken a slightly different path, Djokovic would have almost certainly have been thrown out of a second Grand Slam of his career. Djokovic infamously hit a linesperson at the 2020 US Open and it seems that incident has not taught him a lesson and this incident in Melbourne could have been a repeat almost six years later."
""Oh my goodness," said former British No 1 Tim Henman as he watch the incident unfold in his role as a TNT Sports correspondent. Commentator Nick Lester and Henman then suggested Djokovic would not be making eye contact with the chair umpire after a near miss that could have ended what may be his final attempt to win an 11th Australian Open title."
Djokovic was in control while his opponent struggled with a shoulder problem and appeared close to retiring in the second set. Van de Zandschulp recovered and fought back into contention, prompting Djokovic to lose his composure. After an opponent missed a shot, Djokovic lashed out and smashed the ball in anger, which flew past the ball kid at the net at high speed. The ball narrowly missed causing a second Grand Slam disqualification after Djokovic hit a linesperson at the 2020 US Open. Commentators reacted with shock and noted the near miss threatened his bid for an 11th Australian Open title.
Read at Irish Independent
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