The 25-year-old was seen smashing the ball into the back wall after losing a point in Melbourne. Though it might be just an impulsive reaction, Kotov ended up terrifying a ball girl, who was positioned in the back corner.
Pavel Vyacheslavovich Kotov has courted controversies due to his disgraceful act towards a ball girl during a match at the Australian Open. The Russian tennis star was engaged in a close battle against Arthur Rinderknech in the opening round of the Grand Slam. Kotov dominated the first two sets and looked promising to secure a comfortable win. Rinderknech, however, bounced back spectacularly after Kotov failed to convert a match point for a straight sets victory. Both the third and fourth sets were decided via tie-breakers before Kotov clinched the decider to wrap up the match on a triumphant note.
Losing back-to-back sets certainly caused immense frustration to Kotov. The 25-year-old was seen smashing the ball into the back wall after losing a point in Melbourne. Though it might be just an impulsive reaction, Kotov ended up terrifying a ball girl, who was positioned in the back corner. As soon as he forcibly struck the ball, the kid thought she might be in the firing line. The ball, however, just bounced off the wall, with the girl cowering in fear.
If the ball girl had sustained an injury, the offence could see Kotov get disqualified at the Australian Open. Fortunately, nothing much happened but Kotov received severe backlash from fans after a video of the incident went viral on social media. A sports-related page S dropped the clip on Instagram, with a caption reading, “Watch the ball girl.”
Many of the viewers demanded strict action against Pavel Kotov. One fan, evidently disgusted by the act, commented, “Poor girl, she shouldn’t have to put up with that crap. Hope he (Kotov) gets a fine.”
As a parent of a ball kid, a user could not accept the behaviour. He said, “I find it absolutely disgusting that he was not disqualified from the Australian Open. The ball kids are all volunteers and do not deserve to feel scared or threatened while they are on duty.”
Another fan feels players are bound to show respect to the ball kids and “Tennis Australia needs to stamp hard on this unruly bad-tempered behaviour.”
The first-round win against Arthur Rinderknech marks the maiden Grand Slam victory in Pavel Kotov’s career. He is set to face Flavio Cobolli in the second round of the Australian Open on January 17.
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