Davis Cup: Denis Shapovalov fined over Great Britain default - BBC Sport
Canada's Denis Shapovalov is fined after being defaulted from his match against Great Britain's Kyle Edmund in the Davis Cup.
Last updated on .From the section Tennis

Canada's Denis Shapovalov has been fined $7,000 (£5,600) after hitting an umpire in the eye with a ball.

The 17-year-old was trailing Great Britain's Kyle Edmund 6-3 6-4 2-1 when he struck the ball in anger and hit Arnaud Gabas - and defaulted the match.

He must pay $2,000 for the default and $5,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct, escaping the maximum $12,000 penalty as it was not deemed intentional.

The International Tennis Federation has said no further action is anticipated.

The Davis Cup World Group first-round tie in Ottawa was poised at 2-2 after Vasek Pospisil beat Dan Evans to set up a decider, but Canada's hopes ended when Shapovalov was disqualified after letting frustration get the better of him.

He later apologised to Frenchman Gabas in the match referee's office before the umpire went to Ottawa General Hospital as a precaution.

No damage to the cornea or retina was found and Gabas will see an eye doctor in France on Tuesday for a further examination.

Shapovalov, who had just dropped serve when the incident happened, said he feels "incredibly ashamed and embarrassed".

"I just feel awful for letting my team down, for letting my country down, for acting in a way that I would never want to act," he added.

"I can promise that's the last time I will do anything like that. I'm going to learn from this and try to move past it."

Shapovalov was full of remorse and handled himself very impressively in the hour after his disqualification. He is only 17, and should be allowed to put this behind him.

But - given the ferocity with which he hit the ball away - this appears a lenient response from the ITF.

By way of comparison: Heather Watson was fined $12,000 and Serena Williams $10,000 for smashing racquets into Wimbledon's turf last year. Yes, they are both much more experienced than Shapovalov - but the consequences in Ottawa were potentially far greater.

I wonder if chair umpires around the world feel their employers are doing all they can to protect them?