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French Open 2023: Doubles default leaves Japan's Miyu Kato emotional at Roland Garros

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Published in Tennis
Monday, 05 June 2023 12:55

Japan's Miyu Kato was overcome with emotion as she tried to discuss her French Open doubles disqualification for hitting a ball girl with a ball.

Kato will lose prize money and ranking points if she cannot overturn it.

A day after the incident, Kato cried on court after playing in the mixed doubles and was still emotional when she tried to talk to journalists.

"Miyu feels terrible about what happened," Tim Puetz, Kato's mixed doubles partner, said.

Kato, 28, offered her "sincere" apologies to the youngster for the "unfortunate mishap", saying it was "completely unintentional".

In a news conference after Monday's mixed doubles match, a teary Kato did not speak before leaving the interview room to compose herself.

She managed to return a few minutes later but only feeling composed enough to answer questions in Japanese.

On the decision to default her, Germany's Puetz added: "It was so bad. Everybody in the men's locker room was saying it was impossible to default her. You feel so bad for the person.

"I was happy when we got the call that we will be allowed to play mixed. Not because I care too much about the mixed but because hopefully she can kind of move on."

In Sunday's match, Kato knocked a loose ball down the court between points, hitting the ball girl on the shoulder and leaving her visibly distressed.

Kato was initially given a warning by the umpire but was disqualified after protests from opponents Marie Bouzkova and Sara Sorribes Tormo.

Kato, ranked 31st in doubles, left the court in tears and was consoled by Indonesian partner Aldila Sutjiadi.

The pair stand to lose 43,000 euros (37,000) in prize money.

Czech Bouzkova and Spain's Sorribes Tormo received widespread criticism for seemingly encouraging their opponents to be defaulted, but Sorribes Tormo defended their reaction.

"For Marie and for me it's tough to have all this kind of things that people are saying," she said after losing in the singles fourth round on Monday.

"It's not easy because the only thing we did was go to the referee and explain what happened.

"The rest of the decision was taken by the supervisor. We haven't done anything bad."

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