Coria escapes disqualification

Argentine Guillermo Coria escaped disqualification from his French Open semi-final on Friday after he hurled his racket and it hit a ballgirl.

The seventh seed had just lost the opening set tiebreak against unseeded Dutchman Martin Verkerk when he slung his racket in disgust to the back of the court.

It flew several metres at head height and grazed the girl, named by organisers only as Perinne.

Coria immediately threw his hands in the air and looked to French chair umpire Cedric Mourier as the French crowd jeered and whistled.

Mourier came down from his chair and both he and a Grand Slam supervisor

asked the girl if she was alright.

Coria took off his shirt and handed it to the 16-year-old before holding his hands together at chest height and asked if she was okay.

An International Tennis Federation spokesman said Coria could have been disqualified for the incident but officials could use their discretion.

Instead, he was given an official warning and allowed to continue the semi-final.

Britain's Tim Henman was thrown out of the Wimbledon doubles in 1995 when he struck a ballgirl with a ball hit in anger.

Henman and partner Jeremy Bates were immediately disqualified and Henman was later fined $3,000.

Source: REUTERS
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