It was not a good Monday on the job for Darian King. He was down 6-4, 6-all (5-2) to Edward Corrie at the Challenger tournament in Charlottesville, Virginia, and he had just lost a hotly contested point that ended with an inside-out forehand winner off his opponent's racquet. Then King lost it. He lost it just before he was about to lose the match itself.

King slammed his racquet against the tarp wall behind him at Boar's Head Sports Club, and it ricocheted off and struck a line judge in the back (or the neck, leading to much speculation among those who viewed the clip as to the status of the injury). Regardless, serving as a line judge is a largely thankless task—and she reacted instantly, going all the way down to the ground on her side before a fellow line judge and others came to her aid. Here's the footage:

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King, a native of Barbados, couldn't believe what happened. He implored a few onlookers in the bleachers to see the incident his way, as an honest mistake, with no intent to hurt anyone near the court. Even so, there was really no coming back from that episode. King was defaulted from the match by tournament supervisor Keith Crossland—yea, within just two points of losing it outright—and Corrie, from Great Britain, was awarded the victory. Corrie faces James Duckworth of Australia in the event's second round. And what an event is has been already.

At the end of the day, no matter how angry, a player simply cannot (or should not) act or speak out violently in the vicinity of an official. Or a ballkid. Or anyone. See exhibits A and B: Nalbandian, David; Williams, Serena.

Video via [TennisNow; more information at tenniseastcoast.com]

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