Line judge hit by tennis ball at U.S. Open from Owensboro

NEW YORK, NY (WTVQ) – The line judge hit by Novak Djokovic’s errant tennis ball on Sunday at the U.S. Open lives in Owensboro, Kentucky, according to her family.

After losing a point in his match, Djokovic forcefully hit a ball behind him toward the back wall of the court.  The ball hit Laura Clark in the throat, causing her to fall to the ground where she was gasping for air.

Djokovic was defaulted for making contact with an official.  He was a heavy favorite to win the tournament.

He later issued a statement on his Facebook page apologizing for the incident.

“This whole situation has left me really sad and empty,” Djokovic wrote. “I checked on the linesperson and the tournament told me that thank God she is feeling ok. I‘m extremely sorry to have caused her such stress. So unintended. So wrong. I’m not disclosing her name to respect her privacy. As for the disqualification, I need to go back within and work on my disappointment and turn this all into a lesson for my growth and evolution as a player and human being. I apologize to the US Open Tennis Championships and everyone associated for my behavior. I’m very grateful to my team and family for being my rock support, and my fans for always being there with me. Thank you and I’m so sorry.”

*Note:  The photo that accompanies this story is courtesy:  AP Photo/Seth Wenig