Wimbledon doubles player Demi Schuurs required medical attention after a nasty collision with a ballgirl during her women's doubles quarterfinal match on No. 3 Court at the All England Club. The incident occurred as Schuurs and her partner Ellen Perez faced Shuko Aoyama and Liang En-shuo, with the match tied at 3-3 in the first set.
Collision Details
Schuurs, 32, desperately backtracked to retrieve a looping forehand from her opponents, focusing entirely on the ball and failing to notice a ballgirl positioned beside her. She narrowly missed hitting the ballgirl with her racquet but collided with her, sending both tumbling to the floor. Former tennis player Melanie South commented on BBC: 'She was totally looking at the ball and just had no awareness that the ball girl was on her shoulder. We can see she was a little bit teary in the moment, but it was just coming completely out of the blue when you’re expecting to play a tennis shot and then you’re on the ground.'
Medical Timeout and Match Outcome
Schuurs initially appeared in pain but got to her feet and exchanged a high five with the ballgirl. She then took a medical timeout to be assessed by a physio before resuming play. Despite holding her serve afterward, Schuurs and Perez lost the match 6-4, 6-4, ending their run in the quarterfinals.
Schuurs' Reflection
Reflecting on the defeat on Instagram, Schuurs wrote: 'Losing is never easy, especially when you know how close you are to taking another step. But that’s sport, and it’s also what makes the good moments so special. Of course, I’m disappointed, but I’m also proud that we reached the quarterfinals. Wimbledon will always be a special place for me. Every time I get the chance to compete here, it’s something I’ll never take for granted.' She added: 'Looking back at our European swing, there’s a lot to be proud of. We reached our first final together and made the quarterfinals at both Grand Slams. Of course, we always want more, but these past few weeks have shown that we’re moving in the right direction. A big thank you to Ellen Perez for a great few weeks. I love sharing the court with you, and I’m excited to keep working hard together and chasing even bigger goals. Now it’s time for me to switch off, recover, and recharge before the next part of the season. And finally, thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way.'
Upcoming Semifinal
Aoyama and En-shuo advance to face second seeds Gabriela Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani for a place in the final.
