‘It is unacceptable’ – Tim Henman feels Irina-Camelia Begu lucky to avoid DQ after throwing racquet at French Open

Tim Henman feels Irina-Camelia Begu was lucky to avoid disqualification from the French Open after a racquet she threw ended up in the crowd, and says players should learn from star names such as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

It took a big bounce off the clay and ended up in the crowd, with the incident frightening a young child.

A supervisor was called to the court and after a discussion, Begu was given a warning as to her conduct by way of a punishment.

In the Eurosport studio, Henman said there has been too many incidents of players losing their cool and throwing racquets. He feels players need to rein things in, and that Begu was fortunate not to be ejected from the event.

“It is unacceptable,” Henman said. “It is inevitable players will get frustrated and players will throw racquets, but they will need to take responsibility for where that racquet goes.

“And if you throw it like that you are at risk of it bouncing and it goes into the crowd and hits a child that’s in tears.

“Incredibly lucky not to be disqualified.”

“The irony of this is the way Tsitsipas threw his racquet when he won, he threw it flat straight down so it is not going to bounce anywhere,” Henman said.

“I am not wanting to give lessons as it’s not the right thing to do, you do not see Rafa and Roge, or Swiatek or these top players doing it because they are in control.

“We have seen too much of it and it is setting the wrong example.”

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