In a dramatic scene of events at the 2023 French Open, Marie Bouzkova and Sara Sorribes Tormo emerged victorious in their third-round doubles match after their opponents were disqualified. The intense clash took place on Sunday at Roland Garros, where Bouzkova and Sorribes Tormo faced off against the No. 16 seeds, Miyu Kato and Aldila Sutjiadi.
Unintentional hit proves catastrophic
The match showcased the competitive spirit of both teams, with the Czech-Spanish pair edging ahead by clinching the first set with a 7-6(1) victory. However, Kato and Sutjiadi made a strong comeback in the second set, taking an early lead of 3-1. It was during this critical juncture that an unfortunate incident occurred, changing the course of the match.
In a moment of misfortune, Kato accidentally struck a ball girl on the other side of the net while returning the ball. Recognising the impact, the chair umpire initially issued a warning to the Japanese-Indonesian duo. Kato promptly rushed to the ball girl to check on her well-being and offered a sincere apology for the unintended mishap.
Capitalising on unfortune scenes
Surprisingly, Bouzkova and Sorribes Tormo stepped forward to address the chair umpire, highlighting the emotional distress suffered by the ball girl, who was visibly upset and in tears. They advocated for the match to be awarded to them through a default decision, emphasising the impact of the incident on the young girl.
The chair umpire appeared skeptical, noting that Kato did not deliberately aim the ball at the ball girl, and the girl did not sustain any injuries. However, upon further consideration, the supervisor was called onto the court to assess the situation. After careful deliberation, the chair umpire made the difficult decision to disqualify Kato and Sutjiadi, ultimately granting Bouzkova and Sorribes Tormo the victory.
The disqualification marked a surprising end to an intense match Bouzkova and Sorribes Tormo advance to the next round with mixed emotions.
