Terence Atmane narrowly escapes disqualification at Roland-Garros
On Sunday evening, France's Terence Atmane was eliminated in the first round of the French Open after losing to Sebastian Ofner (3-6, 4-6, 7-6 [2], 6-2, 7-5). The match was marked by an incident in which a frustrated Atmane sent a ball into the stands, hitting a spectator. Despite this gesture, he only received a warning. Ofner expressed his incomprehension: "There are people who have been disqualified for less than that."
Atmane, 22 and ranked 121st in the world, had started his match well on Court No. 6, leading two sets to nil with a break lead in the third. However, mistakes and often unnecessary discussions with the umpire gradually caused him to lose his advantage. At 4-1 in the fourth set, Atmane sent a ball into the stands, triggering ten minutes of uncertainty and refereeing debate. The spectator who was hit certified that the gesture was not intentional, thus avoiding the Frenchman's disqualification. The referee only gave Atmane a warning, thus provoking Ofner's incomprehension.
In the end, Atmane left the tournament after a poorly negotiated end to the fifth set. The spectator who was hit was no longer there to witness the epilogue, having slipped away before the end of the match.
