Sports

Frightening ball boy injury scares fans, commentators at Halle Open

Boy slips while retrieving , was take on wheelchair off ground

Sports Desk June 20, 2019

PHOTO COURTESY: TENNIS TV

The Halle Open is turning out to be one of the most memorable tournaments this year, sometimes for good reasons and the other times for some bad ones.

On Wednesday, an injury to a ball boy saw the fans and commentators get an almighty fright.

During the match between Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Sergiy Stakhovsky, the ball boy slipped on the grass while retrieving the ball.

He appeared to have twisted his ankle and knee before staying on the ground for several minuted.

WATCH: When a tennis match broke into a football one

Officials came to the boy's rescue and had to take him away on a wheelchair as he was unable to walk.

Herbert and Stakhovsky both went to the boy to check on his welfare, while the former also offered the boy his headband as a memento.

Lovely touch from @p2hugz 🤗

Gives his headband to an injured ballboy as he leaves the court in a wheelchair 🤕 Hoping he recovers quickly!#NoventiOpen pic.twitter.com/d6gny9o8zS
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) June 19, 2019

Luckily the boy was alright and avoided any serious injury. He also met Herbert and the mascot after the match.

Good news! 🍀 Ball boy Jaron's feeling better now and got his very special picture with @p2hugz and of course GERRY BERRY 😍😊 #noventiopen19 #HeIsFine 📸 NOVENTI OPEN_HalleWestfalen pic.twitter.com/p49ZDlPIpW
— TERRA WORTMANN OPEN (@ATPHalle) June 19, 2019

Earlier on Tuesday, a round of 32 match between Jo Wilfried Tsonga and Benoit Paire turned into a foot-tennis one.

The two frenchmen, who were fighting it out for a spot in the last-16 which Tsonga grabbed eventually, paused mid-game to entertain the crowds at the Halle Open.

Paire was serving at 1-1 during the second set when he let slip his racquet. However, he did not let the game go out of hand as he started using his feet to return the ball.

Tsonga didn’t mind a little breather as he joined the game of foot-tennis and returned the ball back, but with his foot.

The foot-tennis game ended when Paire tried to vollev-smash one towards Tsonga but missed it.