Tennis Player Loses Match After Injuring Judge During This Violent Court Outburst — and Now Could Face Charges
- Posted on June 18, 2012 at 1:20pm by
Jonathon M. Seidl
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LONDON (The Blaze/AP) — The Queen’s Club final was halted abruptly when David Nalbandian injured a line judge, handing the title to Marin Cilic.
The 10th-seeded Nalbandian was leading in the second set Sunday when he kicked the small barrier surrounding the line judge in anger. A piece of the barrier then hit the line judge, causing bleeding on his left shin.
After checking on the line judge, the chair umpire decided to end the match. And now, CBS News says he could face charges over the incident. See it happen below:
Nalbandian insisted he shouldn’t have been disqualified.
“Sometimes you get very frustrated on court and it’s tough to control that, and sometimes I do a mistake. So it’s very tough to end a final like that,” he said. “But sometimes we feel so much pressure from the ATP to play a lot of tournaments. They don’t do anything (for) us, and today I do a mistake and I have to pay like that.
“I agree I do a mistake but sometimes everybody do a mistake and I didn’t feel it had to end like that, especially in a final.”
ATP rules state that any violent action will result in an automatic default.
“It’s an unfortunate situation for everyone involved, the spectators, the tournament, the sponsors, the players and the linesman,” Brad Drewett, ATP executive chairman and president, said in a statement. “David certainly did not mean for this to happen, however the rules are very clear in a situation like this and causing injury to someone is an automatic default for any player.”
Argentina's David Nalbandian, left, looks on after causing an injury to the line judge, right, and is disqualified during the Queen's Club grass court championships final tennis match against Croatia's Marin Cilic, London, Sunday, June 17, 2012. Nalbandian kicked the small barrier surrounding the line judge in anger. A piece of the barrier then hit the line judge, causing bleeding on his left shin. (AP Photo/Sang Tan)
Tournament director Chris Kermode said the unidentified line judge had received first-aid care but needed no further treatment after seeing a doctor.
“It’s definitely not the way I wanted to win it,” Cilic said. “The match was still open but I can’t change it. I’m sorry for the (spectators) that it had to end like this.
“We had some good rallies, and it’s hard to see the final end like this.”
The Argentine had been leading the sixth-seeded Cilic 7-6 (3), 3-4 in the grass-court Wimbledon warmup when the incident occurred.
“There is a lot of rules, and sometimes they (ATP officials) don’t do anything. The rule book is very big and I can tell you that the ATP do a lot of mistakes to the players and nothing happens,” Nalbandian said.
Nalbandian was playing his first final on grass since losing to Lleyton Hewitt at Wimbledon 10 years ago. He was bidding to become the first player from Argentina to capture an ATP grass court title since Javier Frana won at Nottingham in 1995.
Nalbandian’s last title came in Washington in August 2010.
“We have a sold-out crowd. It’s packed. We were watching some great tennis so to have the match end this way is incredibly disappointing,” Kermode said. “In sport, these things happen. There’s not a lot we can do about it. We are under the governorship of ATP rules and that’s how it stands. It’s a great crowd, great final. You’d like to think you can bend it, but I can see from their point of view it’s difficult.”
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Comments (72)
s.n.
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 7:38pmI can emphatically guarantee that I would have gotten up and knocked that punk ars lil biatch on his worthless ars.
Report Post »Texasboyscout
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 7:32pmRemember Bjorn Borg? Whenever that guy got a bum call, he never questioned it, he just gave the line judge “the look” and you could just see them, they knew they had messed up. But he NEVER raised his voice or protested a call.
Report Post »Harley2002
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:25pmBorg had real class
Report Post »jzs
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:51pmBorg was all class, Conners was the precocious but petulant child. Those were days in tennis. Chrisie and Martina, both classy although total opposites.. Roger Staubach. There was a time when many or most who succeeded in sports were role models for young people. Not so much these days though.
Not that I remember any of that, being a teenager and all.
Report Post »Therightsofbilly
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 12:21amJZS Says:
“Borg was all class, Conners was the precocious but petulant child.”
Hey JZS,
Sounds to me like Borg is conservative, and little Jimmy leans to the left.
Thanks for pointing that out.
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 7:19pmParticipation trophies for all, no money handed out and the Referee’s should now have a CWP.
When the young, rich and elite kick you… fire back. Assault on the elderly is still assault.
Let this angry young rich kid play with balls in prison.
Report Post »Uranium Wedge
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 7:32pmHow do get so upset over such a lame “sport”?
Report Post »SpeckChaser
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 8:20pmWEDGE
What are referring to? I saw no mention of anything that could be considered a sport anywhere in this article.
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:24pm@Uranium Wedge
I’m not upset over this alleged sport. I’m upset over a younger guy kicking an older guy and trying to get away with it as a simple “outburst” because of his egotistical temper tantrum.
I don’t care want you are doing but, you don‘t kick innocent bystanders and you especially don’t kick innocent elderly people.
@ Speck, did you change from two eyes to one mouth? I used to catch Rainbow Trout with yellow corn kernels in Northern Virgina.
Report Post »SpeckChaser
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:43pmMonk
My pic? It’s been that for a while. I haven’t caught rainbow before but bet they taste just as delicious. It’s mostly just specks and reds for me, with the occasional bass.
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 11:02pm@SpeckChaser
Ever tried yellow corn kernels right from a can? I could catch Trout all day in Northern Va. with them.
Love your posts BTW…..
Report Post »copatriots
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 6:42pmWelcome to the future of the narcissistic, facebook generation.
Report Post »tckid17
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 6:23pmThey could prosecute him for “double fault and racketeering”.
Report Post »nosharia
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 6:17pmSomebody needs to grow up and exercise a little self control.
Report Post »HUSSAR
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 6:11pmApparently Scotland Yard doesn’t have anything better to do…assault investigation, what a joke.
Report Post »Disqualified, slap him with a sizable fine and the judge can sue him, what else needs to be done here.
Constant over reactions to minor things for show all the while looking the other way on important transgressions…what’s this world coming to???
LeadNotFollow
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 6:04pm…
What an idiot. Where did he think that box was going to fly off to, when he kicked it?
The judge was sitting mere inches behind the box. Nalbandian knew he was there.
A grown man pitching such a child’s tantrum. He deserves the punishment.
Report Post »He should be ordered to take anger management classes.
LeadNotFollow
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 6:10pm…
Report Post »This type of behavior is why I quit watching tennis years ago.
I still play tennis, but I no longer watch it.
Joe_2112
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 6:24pmAnger management classes? Don’t be ridiculous. As if that’s going to amount to anything.Especially if forced to do so. I got a better idea…let him suffer the penalty of his actions, and be done with it. One of these days he’ll attack someone who wont put up with it, and he’ll be the one bleeding.
Conversely, the ATP officials need to enforce the rules of the game consistently, without bias.
Report Post »ClaudeRains
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 5:55pm@theburningtruth
Report Post »Uhhhhh….really? Lighten up. Wall Street, the Titanic? No more Mountain Dew for you.
facilitiesmgr
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 5:54pmSomeone who acts without control of their emotions will always pay a price!
Sometimes the consequence of the actions will be unintended as in this case where an official was injured, although in a very minor manner. The point isn’t how much injury is sustained, it is a point of lack of respect for authority. It is said “that if we won’t discipline ourselves someone else will do it for us.” Any time someone else gets involved in our discipline the price will always be higher than if we had disciplined ourselves in our thinking and actions.
Report Post »Scarbo
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 3:59pmWhat will eventually happen to this player? There‘s a flying something I don’t give.
Report Post »Ari Ben TZion
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 4:21pmDavid Nalbandian knows how to pick his victims. I would like to see clown have a similar conniption with Mike Tyson.
He would get his head shoved up his culo!
Report Post »Al Gator
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 4:45pm@Ari,
Nah, just put him in a match with Johnny Mac and watch the fur fly! Or bring it up to date and let Jokavich (?sp?) ring his bells.
Tennis is quickly becoming a contact sport!
Report Post »redriverattackdog
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 3:31pmHe kicked the box and accidently struck the judge. He is clearly passionate about his sport. It did not look to me like he was attempting to strike the judge. A short suspension and a @ss chewing should do the trick. Where do we go to charge all of the phony self righteous that have never made a mistake and what prison do we have that can hold all of the self appointed neighborhood window monitors.
Report Post »TheBurningTruth
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 4:15pmAhhh, the slimy old “Made a mistake” excuse. That’s all Wall Street did leading up to the financial meltdown, just “made a few mistakes”. The black crowd in Norfolk, VA just “made a mistake” by pulling two white reporters out of their car and beat them up. The Greeks just “made some mistakes” lying about their true budgets for a decade. The crew of the Titanic just “made a mistake” steaming full speed through an area with reported icebergs on their way to setting a new transatlantic record.
People that use that lame excuse are just trying to excuse their actions. Note that he didn’t bash his racket into the ground in frustration, he took action against someone. This guy kicked the box because when he doesn’t like something he physically takes his anger out on something.
This weasel “made a mistake” argument equates everything from mis-addressing an envelope “mistake” through a killing someone “mistake”. Charlie Manson wasn’t so bad after all, I mean, who hasn’t forgotten to stamp their letter?
And NO, I’ve never injured anyone, let alone “by mistake”.
Report Post »ViewPointtt
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 5:09pmNalbandian did nothing more than unleash his frustration by kicking at something… much like countless other players who have demolished their rackets by pounding them into the ground, or a courtside bench etc. In Nalbandian’s case, it so happens that someone was behind the something he unleashed on. It’s a question of intent. It is completely clear that Nalbandian did not intend to injure anyone. However, those who enjoy a good hanging will likely insist on disregarding the obvious and make the most of it.
Report Post »poster
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 2:54pmIt‘s Obama after getting a question he doesn’t like.
Report Post »COFemale
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 2:46pmHey dude, yes you should be disqualified. It is called anger management control. Bad behavior should never be rewarded. I hope you learn a valuable lesson here, but I doubt it because apparently you don’t feel you should be disqualified. Idiot.
Report Post »louzyana
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 2:25pmHmmm, I don’t know.. but I’ve always been of the opinion that if you show violence of any kind in a sport where you wear an “outfit” , you just come off looking like a spoiled jerk.
Report Post »PATTY HENRY
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 2:48pmKick him out of the league. That’s no professional. That’s a baby.
Report Post »Al Gator
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 4:53pmSo, what about the Williams outburst? She should go too, right? Or maybe we should go back and watch McEnroe and Connors when they flew off the handle.
Crap happens. After boxing, tennis is only of the few very personal sports. Its you against the other guy. The environment, the court, the crowd everything is equal for both antagonists. The players have to gear up and take their emotions out to the edge, its how they win and make it look so easy. So when a judge appears to be favoring one side or the other, things can get dicey.
Report Post »term limits for congress
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 2:03pmTHEBLAZE do a mistake with so much freakin’ advertising!
Report Post »term limits for congress
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 2:03pmKermode [snicker]
Report Post »blackyb
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 1:53pmNote where they did a little photoshoping on the right leg at the knee where the injury never even took place. These journalists who make pictures seem otherwide than what they are should be jailed.
Report Post »OneTermPresident
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 2:26pmGot glasses…? It’s his other hand.
Report Post »blackyb
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 1:51pmI cannot believe someone did not come out of that box and kick that piece of garbages’ azz on the spot. Boy that makes me want to do something naughty.
Report Post »term limits for congress
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 2:02pmdon’t do a mistake
Report Post »blackyb
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 1:49pmI hope that judge has a son who will kick some spoiled tennis brat’s azz. He better be glad that old dude was not my father. Of course my dad would have kicked the guy’s azz himself before anyone else could. These people who would kick an old man like that needs to be have some serious whup azz put upon them.
Report Post »chips1
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 1:33pmIt appears that a score of 15-love, no longer exists.
Report Post »GoodStuff
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 1:33pmTennis…meh.
Report Post »tweetybird
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 1:32pmThat is the only exciting thing about tennis is when the players act like a bunch of babies. Other than that…..tennis a complete bore.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 1:31pmResponsiblity requires Consequences for Acts; Bannish him!
Report Post »blackyb
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 1:56pmBeat his azz good and then ban him.
Report Post »Apple Bite
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 1:25pmUmmm, should I care about this?
Report Post »Red Meat
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 1:39pmNO.
Let’s post another article pimping Allen West.
Report Post »scuba13
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 1:54pmHow about an article on the dangers of red meat?
Report Post »blackyb
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 1:55pmNo, I suppose not. An old man gets kicked by a grown young man and I guess that is just not worth mentioning?
Report Post »blackyb
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 1:57pmI like Alan West and compared to that pimp daddy in the White House, West is the best.
Report Post »leonardo44
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 2:26pmdid someone force you to read this article ?
Report Post »If you don’t care, don’t read it.