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Being a ball boy in tennis is one of the most thankless jobs, considering that you hardly any kind of recognition, despite giving balls to players after each point and also providing them with a towel when they need to be recharged.
But on a positive note, it also provides a great opportunity to watch the best players in action, from the best possible view.
However, going by the events that occurred on day four of the Australian Open, one can safely tell that the ball boys are not exactly safe on the court. Feliciano Lopez was playing Frenchman Adrian Mannarino when the left-hander fired in a serve at 124 mph, but instead of receiving a return from his opponent, it headed straight into the direction of the ball boy and hit him straight on his groin.
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Expectedly, the poor kid was in pain and Lopez rushed towards his side to have a check on him and he was then taken away from the court. The ball boy put on a brave face and returned after a couple of minutes to resume his duties.
Here’s a video of the incident:
