German junior defaulted Wimbledon after racket hits crowd

A 15-year-old German tennis prospect was disqualified from her first-round junior match at Wimbledon on Saturday after her racket flew into the spectator stands during a moment of frustration. Ida Wobker was defaulted for unsportsmanlike conduct, ending her tournament debut.

The incident occurred on Court 11 during Wobker's girls' singles match against Romania's Maria Valentina Pop. After losing the first set 6-0, Wobker was battling back and the second set was tied at 5-5. Down 30-0 on Pop's serve, Wobker missed a backhand long, her 44th unforced error of the match. In a reaction, she slammed her racket into the grass. The racket bounced off the turf and into the first few rows of the stands.

The chair umpire immediately halted play and called for a tournament supervisor. Following a review that lasted several minutes, officials ruled to default Wobker. The All England Club confirmed the decision on Sunday, stating it was made because the loose racket struck a spectator. Officials and reports confirmed that no one in the crowd was injured.

Wobker, who is ranked 24th in the ITF junior standings, accepted the ruling without protest. There is no prize money in the junior draw, so...