'Angry' Lorenzo Musetti kicks ball at line judge in big controversy during French Open match in similar incident to Novak Djokovic at 2020 US Open

Lorenzo Musetti found himself on the end of a warning from the chair umpire as he shockingly hit a line-judge with a stray ball that he kicked in frustration. The Italian, the eighth seed at the French Open, was a break down and serving to stay in the second set against Frances Tiafoe in the quarter-final on Court Philippe-Chatrier, with the incident similar to a previous Novak Djokovic default.

Watch shocking moment Musetti kicks ball at line-judge

Video credit: TNT Sports

Lorenzo Musetti hit a linesperson with a ball during an extraordinary fit of frustration at the French Open.

The Italian, the eighth seed at Roland-Garros, was playing in his quarter-final match against Frances Tiafoe on Court Philippe-Chatrier on Tuesday.

Musetti, leading by a set at the time, was 5-3 down in the second as he prepared to serve to preserve his lead in the match.

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Thrown the standard three balls by one of the ball kids, one bounced out of Musetti's clasp, and the Italian half-volleyed it in anger.

To his misfortune, he hit the line-judge rather than the advertising hoardings behind the baseline.

As such, he was given a warning by the chair umpire, while a baffled Tiafoe stared and gestured at the umpire as he watched the incident unfold.

The world No. 8 thought he had done enough to force another deuce at 4-3 down, lasering a backhand down the line that he believed was heading for a clean winner.

Watch as Musetti given warning by umpire after kicking ball at line-judge

Video credit: TNT Sports

However, Tiafoe showed superb speed and reach to make the return, stretching out his racquet to flick a forehand winner cross-court and claim the game.

Musetti went on to hold serve, but he could not stop Tiafoe levelling proceedings, with the American 15th seed serving out the second in style.

Watch as Musetti makes fast start against Tiafoe as he eyes semi-finals

Video credit: TNT Sports

On TNT Sports commentary, John McEnroe said that he'd have "thrown a couple of bad words" in response to the warning given.

"Musetti seemed to be accepting the warning," McEnroe observed. "I’d have thrown out a couple of bad words there.

"Trying to pull himself together and apologising to all concerned. That’s not normally me."

In the TNT Sports US commentary box, Jim Courier thought back to when Novak Djokovic struck a line judge with a ball in a similar incident.

"That ball going in the direction of that particular linesperson is certainly a reminder of the misfortune that happened in the Covid US Open, when Novak Djokovic hit a ball in anger and it hit a lineswoman in the neck," Courier said.

"He was defaulted on the spot. Of course, it requires an injury to the linesperson.

"Musetti certainly was angry. I don't think he was targeting - that's one of the rare bad kicks by an Italian with their feet. We would expect that from an American."

The incident that Courier was referring to happened in 2020, when Djokovic was disqualified from his fourth-round match against Pablo Carreno Busta.

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Video credit: TNT Sports

The Serbian was 6-5 down in the first set and had just been broken by the Spaniard when he struck a line judge with an angry outburst as he hit a ball behind him.

Djokovic said that the situation left him feeling "sad and empty" and apologised profusely afterwards, but he was not reinstated into the draw, with the disqualification staying in place.

He was defaulted from the tournament, forfeiting all his prize money and ranking points that he had earned while in New York.

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