Frances Tiafoe found himself in tricky waters after firing a ball at Denis Shapovalov, which hit him in the face, at the 2024 Roland Garros.
While tennis isn't a contact sport, sometimes, players get hit by a tennis ball. Usually, it ends up being a body shot, and it's sometimes a legitimate tactic, such as in doubles.
We see it more often in that side of the sport, but it happens in singles as well. Sometimes, things can get dangerous, such as in the match between Tiafoe and Shapovlaov at the 2024 French Open.
The American hit his opponent right in the face with a ball, and quite hard as well. Luckily, the Canadian was able to shake it off pretty well and continue the match as if nothing had happened.
They know each other well, and it was a fascinating battle unfolding before the rain stopped it in the third set, as Tiafoe won the opener 7-4 in the tie-break, while his opponent responded by winning the second set 6-4.
The moment when the American fired a ball at his opponent certainly added to Shapovalov's competitive spirit. After that, he actually broke Tiafoe and won the second set.
During the incident, the American rushed to get to a short ball close to the net and fired it over the net without even looking where Shapovalov was. It happened to hit the Canadian in the face, as he didn't quite dodge it in time.
Tiafoe was clearly surprised by what happened and apologized immediately, showing that he had no bad intentions. Overall, it was an interesting situation that could be dangerous, but luckily, it unfolded without any significant consequences for Shapovalov, who continued the match, out of which both will want to end in the third round of the season's only clay-court major.
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