'UNLUCKY COINCIDENCE': MUSETTI'S FORTUNATE DEFAULT ESCAPE DESCRIBED AS 'COMICAL'

Lorenzo Musetti during his quarter-final against Frances Tiafoe. (Getty/Adam Pretty)

Lorenzo Musetti's spectacular European clay court form continues after reaching the semi-finals at Roland-Garros, but should he be there?

The 23-year-old Italian produced another fine performance on Court Philippe-Chatrier to take down world No.16 Frances Tiafoe 6-2 4-6 7-5 6-2.

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However, a controversial moment occurred in the second set when Musetti kicked a ball in frustration, which hit a lines judge on the chest. There was no apparent injury, and the eighth-seed instantly approached her to apologise.

Tiafoe raised his arms in the air to suggest to the chair umpire that action should be taken, but his opponent escaped with only a warning, and the situation didn't escalate further.

"Honestly, it was [a] really unlucky coincidence," Musetti explained to the media afterwards. "I was a little bit, honestly, scared, because I really didn't want to harm nobody, of course, so I immediately went to the line umpire. I apologise to everyone."

"It was right to have a warning, but I think the umpire saw that there was no intention about that," he continued. "That's why probably just, you know, let me continue my game."

At the 2020 US Open, Novak Djokovic was infamously disqualified from his fourth-round match when he unintentionally hit a line judge on the throat, which caused her serious distress and as a result, the chair umpire and tournament supervisors decided it was enough for a default.

Two years ago at the French Open, a ball kid got struck when Miyu Kato hit the ball across the other side of the net, which led to her disqualification along with doubles partner Aldila Sutjiadi.

"Obviously he did that, and nothing happened. I think that's comical, but it is what it is," a disappointed Tiafoe said post-match when asked about the potential default.

"Nothing happened, so there's nothing really to talk about. Obviously it's not consistent, so it is what it is."

Musetti will hope that his luck continues against defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals.

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