Tennis star wins point without holding racket in unusual scenes at Eastbourne

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina managed to win a point against Jakub Mensik at Eastbourne without even holding his racket. The two players faced off in the quarter-finals on Thursday and it was Davidovich Fokina who took an early lead. A crucial break of serve allowed the Spaniard to claim the first set, with Mensik unable to answer back.

A resurgence from Mensik threatened to force a deciding set, but Davidovich Fokina held firm to wrap up the match within two. The 26-year-old, who did not play at Queen's Club due to illness, secured a 6-4 7-6 triumph to book his place in the Eastbourne semi-finals. He will face either Taylor Fritz or Marcos Giron in the last four.

At one stage during his victory over Mensik, Davidovich Fokina won a bizarre point despite letting go of his racket. He accidentally threw it onto the ground while serving, but his opponent could only find the net with his return.

Davidovich Fokina was awarded the point, with no rules preventing such a scenario, and he looked sheepish as he wandered over to pick up his racket.

Peter Marcato, commentating on the match for TennisTV, laughed and said: "Wow, what happens here? That's going to go on the highlight reel for all the wrong reasons. Look at this!"

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Later in the match, Davidovich Fokina exploded at the umpire after receiving a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct. He threw his racket on the ground, deliberately this time, after going 5-4 down in the second set.

He was quick to protest the decision, arguing that he threw down his racket outside the court lines, before launching an extraordinary verbal tirade in the direction of the umpire.

"I don't accept that warning," fumed Davidovich Fokina. "You're the worst umpire I have seen. The worst. I don't know how you can sit there.

"I threw it three times and you didn't say nothing. I did it outside, outside the baseline. Video review it. Why you put a warning? It was outside the baseline."

Davidovich Fokina eventually composed himself and went on to win the match, but complained about the playing conditions in his on-court interview.

"Today was a not easy day for both of us," he said. "So much wind and it was not easy to play. We tried our best but in the end it was difficult. I'm happy with how it went, the match, and how I played in every game."

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