David Nalbandian was disqualified from the Queen’s Club men’s singles final in London on Sunday after unintentionally injuring a line judge in a show of anger after a missed point.
Nalbandian, of Argentina, was leading Marin Cilic, 7-6, 3-4, when he frustratedly kicked an advertising board surrounding the feet of judge Andrew McDougall. The panel split apart upon Nalbandian’s contact with the front portion striking McDougall in the left shin.
After McDougall pulled up his pants leg to reveal the bloody gash, the chair umpire defaulted the match in Cilic’s favor. It was a decision ATP Supervisor Tom Barnes easily confirmed “once I saw that the line judge was injured.”
“I am very sorry, sometimes you get frustrated on court,” Nalbandian said afterward, according to the BBC.
“Today I’ve made a mistake. Sometimes I agree and I do but everyone makes mistakes. I don’t feel it had to end like that – especially in a final.”
Adding to the disappointment for Nalbandian is that he was leading the match. If he held on, it would have been his 12th career tournament title. Perhaps more disappointing is that he is at risk of being fined his winnings at the tournament (estimated to be $56,803).
This is a hard lesson for Nalbandian in which he learned not only that he needs to keep his emotions in check but also that those wooden things at judges’ feet are apparently held together with Elmer’s Glue.
Here are a few photos from the incident and its aftermath:
Photos: Leo Mason-US PRESSWIRE
Video via Busted Racket
