French Open 2020: 'Nightmare!' - Tim Henman reacts to Novak Djokovic hitting line judge accidentally
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Updated 05/10/2020 at 22:49 GMT
Tim Henman has given his reaction to world number one Novak Djokovic hitting a line judge accidentally during his fourth-round match against Karen Khachanov at the 2020 French Open. The top seed simply deflected a return of serve straight into the official's face, but raced over to apologise, no doubt with flashbacks to his disqualification at the US Open.
Novak Djokovic accidentally hits a line judge at the French Open
Image credit: Eurosport
Novak Djokovic would have suffered a "nightmare" after he accidentally hit a line judge in the face with a return at the 2020 French Open, Tim Henman has said.
The top seed struck a line judge again in yet another unfortunate incident, just weeks after he was disqualified for doing so at the US Open. This time, however, it was entirely accidental as the world number one tried to return a Karen Khachanov serve.
Djokovic won the match in straight sets, 6-4 6-3 6-3, very comfortably at Roland Garros and secured his place in the last eight in Paris, but it was a scary moment for him after his experience in New York.
Eurosport expert Henman believes the Serb would have found the whole situation a "nightmare" after what he went through at Flushing Meadows.
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'It's a nightmare!' - Henman reacts to Djokovic hitting line judge accidentally
"It's a nightmare - yeah, it's a nightmare, obviously," Henman told Barbara Schett in the Eurosport studio.
"It's a great serve out wide from Khachanov, it's skidded off the line and he gets it at full stretch at the end of the racket and it hits the line judge.
"Obviously it's totally different circumstances [to his US Open disqualification] because this was in play within the rally.
But I'm sure he would have had his heart in his mouth at that stage.
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Highlights: Djokovic races past Khachanov and into quarter-finals
That was the most alarming moment of the match for Djokovic, who is potentially on course to face Stefanos Tsitsipas in the last four in Paris with Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem on the other side of the draw.
The Serb won through in just two hours and 23 minutes and will next await Pablo Carreno Busta - a semi-finalist at the US Open last month - in the last eight.
Carreno Busta was Djokovic's opponent when he was disqualified at Flushing Meadows for hitting a ball at a line judge; now he could be the one standing between the top seed and the semi-finals in Paris.
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