Ryan Harrison, beaten, completes racquet-smashing Slam at Indian Wells

It was all going so well for Ryan Harrison. The 24-year-old American was fresh off capturing his first ATP singles title in Memphis, had nearly reached a career-high ranking in the process, and was placed far, far away from the slasher-flick scary bottom quarter of the draw at Indian Wells. Harrison's first-round opponent, Damir Dzumhur, was his quarterfinal conquest in Memphis, in straight sets. The prestigious BNP Paribas Open offered Harrison a great opportunity for a further rankings and wallet boost at just the right time.

Harrison, it seemed, was enjoying life in the pros after years of searching for a breakthrough. Check out his relaxing pre-tournament practice with Grigor Dimitrov, and particularly Harrison’s reaction after dropping the first point:

It was a soothing sight, rivaled only by the idyllic mountain views in the distance.

But Harrison, it seems, can’t have nice things for very long. And by nice things I mean gleaming, new Babolat tennis racquets. For over the final two points and aftermath of his 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 loss to Dzumhur on Indian Wells’ stadium court, Harrison obliterated these fresh frames like Pac-Man consumes Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Clyde.

It all started with the first racquet, which Harrison managed to squash like an errant bug after botching a volley. Then it really gets ugly:

The missed volley that kicked off the entire sordid sequence recalled Andy Roddick’s infamous miss in the 2009 Wimbledon final. That proved costly, as things always seemed to do for the former No. 1 when he faced Roger Federer.

After losing his match in heartbreaking fashion—he was broken just once, in the final game of a 16-14 in-the-fifth instant classic—Roddick was given a standing ovation on Centre Court by the sympathetic crowd:

When Dzumhur acknowledged to the crowd after defeating Harrison at Indian Wells, you can hear the applause from the fans—and you can also hear racquets number three and four, cracking at impact. In a snap, Harrison’s short time in the California desert went from idyllic to idiotic.

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