A junior Italian tennis player was controversially disqualified from the opening round of the Australian Open for hitting a ball kid.
Seventeen-year-old Maria Vittoria Viviani was sent packing from Melbourne Park in tears after she was automatically disqualified for hitting a ball kid with a ball after losing the opening set.
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Junior tennis player Maria Vittoria Viviani is disqualified from the Australian Open for striking a ball after losing a point and hitting a ball kid despite a quick apology.
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Viviani disqualified for hitting a ball kid
Junior tennis player Maria Vittoria Viviani is disqualified from the Australian Open for striking a ball after losing a point and hitting a ball kid despite a quick apology.
Italian journalists described the force as minimal, however Viviani still managed to strike the ball kid in the chest and was harshly punished for her actions.
The teenager immediately apologised to the ball kid, raising her hand in the air with remorse for her minor outburst.
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However the umpire wasn't tolerant of the behaviour and disqualified the Italian from the tournament after losing the opening set 6-2 to Chinese opponent Xin Yu Wang.
On the same day, Japan's Kei Nishikori softly swatted a ball away and made contact with a ball kid during his fourth round clash against Roger Federer - however he went unsanctioned for the accidental contact.
Maria Vittoria Viviani was defaulted in her R1 junior match for this... pic.twitter.com/6HnUeuBDK6
— Graham (@juki_tennis) January 22, 2017
Disqualified: Maria Vittoria Viviani Photo: Instagram
Viviani isn't the first Italian tennis player to be disqualified in Australia, with Stefano Pescosolido booted out of the Sydney International in 1992 after throwing his racquet, which bounced off the court and hit a spectator in the stands.
Viviani's heartbreak evoked memories of John McEnroe being disqualified at Melbourne Park in 1990 - 27 years and one day ago.
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