Australia’s Polmans sorry for smashing ball in umpire’s face

The 26-year-old was on match point against Italy’s Stefano Napolitano, with victory set to see him qualify for an ATP 1000 event for the first time.

Marc Polmans in action. (File Photo) | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Australian tennis player Marc Polmans apologised on Wednesday for accidentally hitting an umpire in the face when he smashed a ball in anger during a Shanghai Masters qualifying match.

The 26-year-old was on match point against Italy’s Stefano Napolitano, with victory set to see him qualify for an ATP 1000 event for the first time.

But after hitting a volley into the net, he whacked the ball away in frustration, and it caught chair umpire Ben Anderson directly in the face. Polmans was instantly disqualified.

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“Ben has accepted my apology for my actions, he knows it was unintentional and I shanked the ball on the frame in frustration in the heat of the moment,” Polmans wrote on his social media handle.

“We both move on. It was a high pressure situation and I should have reacted better,” he said.

Polmans will forfeit all prize money and ranking points picked up during the qualifying tournament. He could still face further ATP punishment for the incident.