WATCH: Musetti Avoids Disqualification Despite Hitting Line Judge At Roland Garros

Lorenzo Musetti's dream of a maiden Grand Slam title could have ended prematurely when he accidentally kicked a ball at a line judge.

The Italian outclassed Frances Tiafoe 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 to reach the semifinal. Tiafoe competed admirably against him for most of the match, but fell away quickly after losing a tight third set.

As always, Musetti's game was a joy to watch. His one-handed backhand is one of the most attractive shots in tennis, and he mixed in many excellent slices, drop shots, and powerful forehands.

However, some felt Musetti should not have been able to complete a victory after his actions earlier in the match. A ball kid had thrown a ball for the 23-year-old to serve when frustration suddenly got the better of him.

After looking like he was about to pick the ball up, Musetti suddenly decided to kick it instead. That led to a line judge being hit in the chest. The woman hit did not react, even though she must have been somewhat startled.

It cannot be seen in the video below, but Musetti immediately apologized to the woman afterward. Although she did not make an issue of being hit, the Italian must have feared the worst at that point.

Fortunately for him, the umpire chose to give him an unsportsmanlike conduct violation instead of defaulting him. That shocked some, who felt a default was appropriate even if the ball did not hit the line judge very hard.

There are undoubtedly questions about whether the rules have always been applied consistently or fairly. Novak Djokovic received a default at the 2020 US Open for hitting a line judge despite not striking the ball with much pace.

Denis Shapovalov was defaulted at last year's Citi Open for comments he directed at a spectator, even though he had been verbally abused first. That incident seemed far less serious than hitting a line judge.

Others will argue that the umpire was correct in using his discretion and common sense. Since the line judge did not get hurt, depriving the thousands of fans who bought tickets of the great tennis that followed would have undoubtedly caused outrage.

Tiafoe felt aggrieved at the end of the match, but it was not just because of that incident. In the fourth set, the umpire overruled two line calls and said they were in. Hawkeye indicated that both balls landed out.

The American held no grudge against Musetti and congratulated him at the net. By contrast, Tiafoe did not shake the umpire's hand, feeling his performance throughout the match did not warrant it.

That moment was less fiery than Tiafoe's extraordinary rant at the 2024 Shanghai Masters in October. He repeatedly shouted "f**k you" at the umpire, who had docked him a first serve in the deciding set tiebreak against Roman Safiullin for a second time violation.

Tiafoe is one of the most exciting players in tennis, but he can sometimes be volatile on the court. The 27-year-old could be heard swearing several times during the defeat to Musetti at Roland Garros, especially in the fourth set.