(Video) Yulia Putintseva stands still while ball girl throws balls for her during her defeat to Jasmine Paolini at 2024 US Open
Yulia Putintseva attracted criticism for her behavior towards a ball girl during her third-round match at the 2024 US Open.
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Yulia Putintseva stands still while ball girl throws balls for her (Images via US Open/ X)
Kazakhstan WTA player Yulia Putintseva drew attention to her for all the wrong reasons during her third-round match at the 2024 US Open. Facing a tough challenge from Italian Jasmine Paolini during the match, Putintseva got extremely frustrated and it reflected in her behavior towards the ball girl. The WTA star stood still while the ball girl threw balls for her.
Putintseva was trailing throughout the match and looked disinterested after one point. She seemed to lack energy even while dealing with the ball kids. As one of them threw balls to her before her serve, the Kazakh ace, instead of catching them, stood still and only nodded, asking the ball girl to keep throwing them.
While it showed on the broadcast that she was picking the ball by herself, a spectator recorded a video from the stands showing what had actually happened. In the video, Putintseva could be seen standing still while the ball girl threw balls at her. The 29-year-old seemingly even got into a little argument with the chair umpire for her behavior.
Watch the incident in the video below:
Jasmine Paolini leaves Yulia Putintseva in tatters at 2024 US Open
Yulia Putintseva was frustrated over her dismal effort against Jasmine Paolini in the third round. While the No. 30 seed came into the match having won her first two matches convincingly, Putintseva got little chance against Paolini, who has been nothing short of flawless this season.
The Wimbledon and Roland Garros finalist covered every inch of the court with aplomb, and her aggressive groundstrokes packed a punch that kept Putintseva on the defensive. The 2020 US Open quarterfinalist did not get a chance to push Paolini on the back foot and take charge of the contest.
Paolini, meanwhile, made the most of every opportunity she got. Although she was playing in the third round of the US Open for the first time, she showed no signs of nervousness and navigated the uncharted territory with ease.
After the Italian took a 3-1 lead, both women traded four consecutive breaks of serve. Paolini held steady in the ninth game to convert on her first set point and take the lead in the contest. A single early break of serve in the second set gave Paolini a 2-1 lead and the Italian held onto it from thereon and eventually clinched the second set, winning the match 6-3, 6-4.
With this win, Paolini became the first Italian player to reach the Round of 16 at all Grand Slam events in a season. This year, she made it to the fourth round at the Australian Open while finishing as the runner-up at both French Open and Wimbledon.
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Ritesh Pathak
(2150 Articles Published)