French Open 2024: Joe Salisbury applauded after remarkable act of sportsmanship in defeat at Roland-Garros
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Updated 06/06/2024 at 17:18 GMT+1
Joe Salisbury produced a stunning moment of sporting spirit which will be remembered for many years, after relinquishing a potentially crucial point at a pivotal moment of his men's doubles quarter-final against Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori. Salisbury was competing alongside men's doubles partner Rajeev Ram, and remarkably conceded a point after admitting the ball had hit his hand.
What sporting spirit! Salisbury shows fair play by admitting volley hit his hand
Video credit: TNT Sports
Joe Salisbury is being widely praised after a superb moment of sporting spirit in the French Open men's doubles competition at Roland-Garros.
Salisbury was competing in the tournament alongside American Rajeev Ram, and ultimately succumbed to a three-set quarter-final defeat against the Italian duo of Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori.
Bolelli and Vavassori recovered after losing the first set to win 1-6 6-3 6-4, setting up a semi-final clash with Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden.
However, this particular match will be best remembered for an amazing show of sporting spirit by Salisbury that came at the expense of potentially securing a place in the last four of the tournament.
Bolelli and Vavassori were leading 5-4, 15-0 in the decisive 10th game of the third set, as Salisbury appeared to hit a well-placed volley at the net.
Neither the umpire nor his opponents appeared to notice that the ball had hit his hand before placing the shot, but the Brit immediately confessed and subsequently surrendered the point.
This prompted a round of applause to break out from the Roland-Garros crowd in appreciation, before Bolelli and Vavassori would go onto wrap up the game, and the match, with a love hold.
Salisbury is a former world No.1 in doubles and has won six Grand Slam titles, including the 2021 French Open mixed doubles alongside Desirae Krawczyk.
He has also achieved extensive success with men's doubles partner Ram, winning the 2020 Australian Open, as well as three consecutive US Open titles between 2021 and 2023.
The 32-year-old featured for Great Britain at the Davis Cup and partnered Andy Murray at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games three years ago.
Bolelli and Vavassori’s men’s doubles semi-final against Bopanna and Ebden takes place on Thursday morning.
You can watch every day of the 2024 French Open live and on-demand on discovery+
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