Tennis player hits ball towards crying infant, wow...

David Ferrer was preparing to serve in his Sony Ericsson Open quarterfinal match against American Mardy Fish when the sound of a bawling child filled the stadium court. The sixth-ranked Spaniard briefly paused, but decided to play through the noise.

Ferrer lost the point. Then he lost his composure. Looking in the general direction of the crying baby, Ferrer lobbed a ball into the crowd in frustration. He went on to lose the next point and four straight games, capping a complete second-set meltdown.

Watch the clip below. (The video doesn't show the baby crying during the point, just Ferrer's reaction.):

Given how bad Ferrer's groundstrokes were in the second set, it's no surprise that the ball didn't come close to hitting the baby. (Rimshot!)

Ferrer's actions were reckless and immature. It was a bully move borne out of frustration. He hit a ball in anger toward the crowd, which is never acceptable, particularly when it's at a defenseless child. He's lucky he didn't get a warning or a fine. He's even more lucky the ball didn't come close to hitting anybody.

Is all that out of the way? Good. Because while I believe everything in the previous paragraph, there's another big issue at hand: Who brings a baby to a tennis match?

There are two places babies don't belong: bars and any place where silence is greatly valued. Find a babysitter. Leave the child outside the stadium with your wife. Or, better yet, watch the match on TV. (But not in a bar.) Ferrer was wrong for overreacting, but the father is equally wrong for putting his child in that situation.

Fish defended Ferrer after the match. "He'd probably take that one back if he could," he said. "He's a very nice guy. Obviously flustered."

For his part, Ferrer didn't blame the baby for his meltdown, saying a bout of indigestion is what caused the collapse of his game. "[The crying baby] was in one moment of the match, but nothing special," he said. "It was not the problem."

No, the problem was Ferrer's boorish behavior, which was caused just as much by his decision to play through the noise than it was from the noise itself. The instant Ferrer thought he shouldn't serve, he should have backed away from the baseline to collect himself. When he lost the point, he seemed more frustrated at himself for playing rather than the child.

His warning shot worked, by the way. The child stopped crying after Ferrer launched the ball into the stands.

http://sports.yahoo.com/tennis/blog/...?urn=ten-wp257

Since the baby stopped crying maybe I need to carry a racquet and tennis ball around the house.

Don't blame the tennis player, blame the moronic parents who thought it would be a great idea to bring a baby to a professional tennis match.

I'll blame the tennis player, he purposely hit a ball towards an infant. Yeah the child probably shouldn't have been there, but really, who does something like that?

it didnt go anywhere at all near the kid.......... fwiw. and im sure if he can hit a ball down the line at 100 mph he could have drilled a kid in the stands if he had wanted to, this got blown out of proportion, the reason they showed it on the news like they did was to make him look bad. he drilled that soma***** way out of the stands but in the direction of the kid. you think if he had hit it at the kid that the father wouldnt have walked down there and beat his ass?

wow, actually in that link you posted the guy says it didnt go anywhere near the kid, i saw one earlier where a woman said that he purposely endangered the child....... :rolleyes:

Even the title says 'toward' the kid, not hitting iit or anything. It was a huge douche move, of course everyone area that, but I posted it, so I get there's going to be arguing otherwise.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by R13

Even the title says 'toward' the kid, not hitting iit or anything. It was a huge douche move, of course everyone area that, but I posted it, so I get there's going to be arguing otherwise.

---

huh? there was nothing in my post at all directed towards anything you even said, directed more at the news for blowing it out of proportion. do you really have to turn everything into a ****ing contest?

If he can't play with a baby crying, how does he cope with life? Lay down on the horn at a light and he shoots someone? :D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Chubz

Don't blame the tennis player, blame the moronic parents who thought it would be a great idea to bring a baby to a professional tennis match.

---

Well being a parent, I have to say this is probably the Dumbest ass thing i've ever heard anyone say. Apparently Sex, and or the possiblitiy of having kids isn't in your near future. You act as if this event was held in a Bar... or a Strip Club... Children should be allowed to go with their parents anywhere the partent sees fit. As long as there isn't an age limit for said event as the previously mentioned places... why can't a kid go with their dad or mom to a sporting event. Perhaps the father has a passion for the game (tennis blows) and wants to share the experience with their Child. Thumbs down and Black X for you Chubz

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Skeletor

Well being a parent, I have to say this is probably the Dumbest ass thing i've ever heard anyone say. Apparently Sex, and or the possiblitiy of having kids isn't in your near future. You act as if this event was held in a Bar... or a Strip Club... Children should be allowed to go with their parents anywhere the partent sees fit. As long as there isn't an age limit for said event as the previously mentioned places... why can't a kid go with their dad or mom to a sporting event. Perhaps the father has a passion for the game (tennis blows) and wants to share the experience with their Child. Thumbs down and Black X for you Chubz

---

I am a parent and I agree with Chubz here. You are a moron if you want to bring a toddler or younger to a pro tennis match which requires quiet during play. You never know when a baby or toddler are going to throw a hissy fit, and you should have enough respect not to bring them to that environment.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by 1inStripes

I am a parent and I agree with Chubz here. You are a moron if you want to bring a toddler or younger to a pro tennis match which requires quiet during play. You never know when a baby or toddler are going to throw a hissy fit, and you should have enough respect not to bring them to that environment.

---

Not only that, but tennis balls get hit into the stands on a fairly regular basis at a pro tennis match...whether in celebration or frustration. Bringing a child, specifically an infant, into that kind of environment is dangerous and negligent.

That'd be like bringing a 5 month old to sit a few rows above the 3rd base dugout at a MLB game...just plain dumb. We've all seen run-of-the-mill folks get hurt in situations like that b/c their reactions were too slow to defend themselves, much less an infant.

Passion for the game or not, wait until the infant grows up enough to actually swing a racquet and understand the game and pay attention to the match before bringing it to the match. Until then--there's this profession called a babysitter that will make this whole discussion a moot one.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rocky

it didnt go anywhere at all near the kid.......... fwiw. and im sure if he can hit a ball down the line at 100 mph he could have drilled a kid in the stands if he had wanted to

---

Also exceptionally true and undeniable. These guys hit the ball not only hard, but many times into targets on the court just a few inches deep by a few inches wide. Struggling as he was, if Ferrer wanted to call which spot where he wanted to hit the infant with the ball, he could have. The fact that he didn't shows his actions were out of frustration more than malice.

and if anyone wants to argue that, I watched Carol Saboites stand at the far end of a court one day (outside of the play area) and knock tennis balls off of road cones. Of course, she isnt human and was programmed to run and play tennis at an unbelievable level but still haha. She isnt even pro and some of the crap she could do was amazing.