PARIS – Lorenzo Musetti faced an unsportsmanlike conduct warning after inadvertently hitting a linesperson with a tennis ball during his French Open quarterfinal match against Frances Tiafoe on Tuesday. Unlike many high-level tennis events that utilize electronic line-calling systems, the French Open at Roland-Garros still employs officials on the court to determine the placement of shots.
During the match, Musetti, seeded eighth, had just lost a game to fall behind Tiafoe with a score of 5-3 in the second set at Court Philippe-Chatrier. As he prepared to serve in the next game, Musetti kicked a ball with his left foot, unintentionally sending it toward a female line judge stationed behind his baseline.
The chair umpire immediately informed the crowd about Musetti receiving a warning for a code violation related to the incident. It’s important to note that there is no direct penalty associated with receiving an initial warning of this nature.
Despite this, Tiafoe managed to win the set. Musetti had captured the first set earlier in the best-of-five match, vying for a spot in the semifinals. Neither player has advanced to the semifinals at Roland-Garros previously.