CBN Tennis Open: Godsgift loses by default after hitting opponent with ball

Timibra Godsgift on Wednesday at the ongoing CBN Senior Open Tennis Tournament in Abuja lost by default after hitting his opponent, Nonso Madueke, on the leg with the ball.

Ninth-seeded Madueke won the first set 6-4 in the Round of 16 tie but was trailing 3-4 in the second set when the incident occurred.

Godsgift returned a shot and the ball landed on Madueke’s left leg, leading to an immediate discomfort.

Madueke was seen rolling in pains on the ground, saying he could not continue with the game.

The umpire, in consultation with the chief umpire, brought the game to an end and declared it a default against Godsgift.

The decision means Godsgift had acted in an undisciplined manner and would not be awarded points or any share of the prize money.

“I played well in the first set, even though I lost. But I was leading the second set 4-3,” Godsgift, who was ranked eighth in the tournament said.

“The umpire called my first serve a fault. I then served the second time and it hit the net. But I didn’t hear the umpire call fault again and the umpire said he did.

“However, the next thing I saw was my opponent lying on the floor claiming that the ball was too hard and his legs were paining him and he can’t play again”.

Asked if the ball actually hit his opponent, the Port Harcourt-based Godsgift replied in the affirmative.

“Yes, it hit him. It wasn’t intentional. But in tennis they won’t accept that it is a mistake. They will say it was done in anger, but for me it wasn’t.

“I didn’t hear the umpire call fault. If I had heard him, I wouldn’t have played the ball.

“I am fine though. But I will still fight back some other time,” Godsgift added.

But Madueke, whose leg was wrapped in ice as he received treatment from the medical personnel, said Godsgift had played in anger.

“I won the first set and we started the second set. But, after sometime, he served and I returned. He volleyed and I returned it, but he then fired the ball directly at my leg and I couldn’t continue.

“At times, emotional anger could lead to this. He was angry after losing the volley and he did this to my leg,” he said.

Madueke has now qualified for the quarter-finals and will face fourth-seeded Thomas Otu on Thursday.