Doubles team DQ'd as errant hit strikes ball girl

PARIS -- Miyu Kato and Aldila Sutjiadi were disqualified from the French Open on Sunday after a ball hit by Kato struck a ball girl during their women's doubles third-round match.

Kato and Sutjiadi were a set down to Marie Bouzkova and Sara Sorribes Tormo but 3-1 up in the second when Kato sent the ball to the opposite end of the court between points, hitting the ball girl and leaving her in distress.

Umpire Alexandre Juge gave Kato a warning before Bouzkova and Sorribes Tormo, on the other side of the net, asked for their opponents to be disqualified.

"No, no, let me explain to you. She [Kato] didn't do it on purpose. She [the ball girl] didn't get injured," Juge said.

"She didn't do it on purpose? She's crying," Sorribes Tormo said.

"And she has blood," Bouzkova added, prompting the umpire to go to see the ball girl, who was sobbing.

After speaking to the girl, the umpire went back up to his chair and announced the end of the match with the disqualification of Sutjiadi and Kato, who had apologized and was in tears as she left the court.