Naomi Broady beats Jelena Ostapenko

A good win for Naomi Broady who saved match points and won a match she could easily have lost in straight sets. However a controversial incident in the match.

Broady hit a winning shot and her opponent threw her racquet fairly aggressively towards the ball (roughly) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPhiBazkhMU

I don't think it was deliberately intended to hit the ball boy. It happened almost during the point with her eye probably looking elsewhere. But apparently it did hit (impact not shown in footage).

WTA rules state that (quoting from BBC article) "players shall not at any time physically abuse any official, opponent, spectator or other person...for the purposes of this rule, physical abuse is the unauthorised touching of an official, opponent and spectator or other person".

Ostapenka was not disqualified but was given a warning. I think this was the correct decision personally - based not so much on studying the rules above (which don't seem to definitely answer the question) but just a common sense opinion. I think disqualification should be for deliberately aiming at someone or causing an injury or drawing blood. I don't think someone should be disqualified for this personally. However a fine to charity might be appropriate or some punishment like reduction of prize money. But pretty interesting to discuss because it seemed borderline decision.

Broady's reaction was interesting, too. She complained straight away, apparently seeking the disqualification, and kept on at it, and after the match at the net was chattering in her opponent's ear, trying to argue with her, and saying loudly on the court that she had struck the ball boy. I suppose you could say that Broady was just trying to see the rules are applied but to me it was unnecessary and perhaps even unseemly. She should have stayed out of it, I think. She ended up coming out of it looking just as bad as her opponent. Maybe worse.

Broadly beat Ivanovic in the previous round, which was an excellent win. Lost today though.

I haven't seen the incident but when I read about it I did find it a bit odd that Broady got involved at all. It's a bit like a footballer demanded the ref issue a red card. That said, her account of the end of the match is that her opponent called her a disgrace - which led to her responding.

Have seen incident. To me, it resembled an incident in a match when you are well beaten by a shot and acknowledge this by chucking your racquet at the passing ball.
Yes it did hit the ball person and, yes, technically she could have been disqualified. I agree that Broady should have stayed out of it and, like B Slippy, agree it was almost the equivalent of a footballer trying to get an opponent sent off.
Good win, though, and by all accounts, she played well in defeat by Sloane Stephens in next match.

I think Broady had every right to insist that the rules be applied as they are written - regardless of whether Ostapenko intended to hit the ball kid or not, she should have been disqualified. The umpire and the tournament director have no good explanation for not doing so, and they've been derelict. I personally saw an a player get disqualified (from both singles and doubles) in the Citi Open a couple of years ago for accidentally hitting a lines man with the ball. Tim Henman remains the only player to be disqualified from Wimbledon for doing the same thing.

Think Nalbandian at Queens.

Broady is absolutely right. Another case of an Umpire bottling a straightforward decision.