Wimbledon doubles player Demi Schuurs required medical attention after a collision with a ball girl on No. 3 Court at the All England Club. The incident occurred during a women's doubles quarterfinal match between Schuurs and partner Ellen Perez against Shuko Aoyama and Liang En-shuo.
Collision during serve
At 3-3 in the first set, Schuurs backtracked to retrieve a looping forehand from her opponents. Focused on the ball, the 32-year-old Dutch player did not notice a ball girl positioned nearby. She narrowly missed hitting the ball girl with her racquet but collided with her, sending both to the ground.
Former tennis player Melanie South commented on BBC: 'She was totally looking at the ball and just had no awareness that the ball girl was on her shoulder. We can see she was a little bit teary in the moment, but it was just coming completely out of the blue when you’re expecting to play a tennis shot and then you’re on the ground.'
Medical timeout and match outcome
Schuurs initially appeared in pain but got to her feet and exchanged a high five with the ball girl. She then took a medical timeout for physio treatment before resuming the match. Despite holding her serve, Schuurs and Perez lost 6-4, 6-4 to Aoyama and En-shuo.
Reflecting on the defeat on Instagram, Schuurs wrote: 'Losing is never easy, especially when you know how close you are to taking another step. But that’s sport, and it’s also what makes the good moments so special. Of course, I’m disappointed, but I’m also proud that we reached the quarterfinals.'
Looking ahead
Aoyama and En-shuo will face second seeds Gabriela Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani for a place in the final. Schuurs added: 'Looking back at our European swing, there’s a lot to be proud of. We reached our first final together and made the quarterfinals at both Grand Slams.'
