A dramatic turn of events unfolded during the final round of qualifying at the Shanghai Masters, in which one player got disqualified for firing the ball on the umpire's face.
The incident happened at a crucial moment in the match between Australia's Marc Polmans and Italy's Stefano Napolitano, who were battling to qualify for the main draw of the penultimate Masters 1000 tournament.
Polmans, ranked 140th in the world, took the first set in a tiebreak. He was on course to record a straight-sets win when he conjured a match point in the second-set tiebreak at 6-5. The Aussie dashed to the net for a follow-up of his initial forehand shot and took aim for a stop volley after Napolitano dug out a backhand.
Polmans netted the volley, and just as the ball bounced on the turf, he let out his frustration by furiously hurling it out of play. Unfortunately, Polmans unintentionally fired the ball in the umpire's face. His actions warranted an immediate default.
It's a big disappointment for a Melbourne native who was seeking his first main draw appearance at a Masters 1000 event. Polmans will now forfeit the prize money earned in the qualifying draw after winning his opening match against Alibek Kachmazov.
This incident mirrors that of Denis Shapovalov, who was infamously defaulted in a Davis Cup match six years after smashing the ball in the umpire's eye. He was due to face a $12,000 fine, but immediately apologised and was fined to the tune of $7,000.
Polmans' compatriot Nick Kyrgios has since reacted to the incident, curiosuly questioning the amount of fine he will receive for that behavior. Kyrgios made the oblique reference to his own penalty at Queen's in 2019 when the ATP fined him £14,000 for an unsportsmanlike conduct after multiple outbursts at officials,.
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