Player only cautioned after ball strikes fan

A French player at the French Open was allowed to continue his first-round match without being penalized after hitting a ball angrily into the stands and accidentally striking a spectator at one of the event's smaller courts on Sunday.

Terence Atmane, a 22-year-old with a career-best ranking of 120th, smacked a ball over the wall into the seats behind the opposite baseline at 492-capacity Court 12 after losing a point in the fourth set against Sebastian Ofner of Austria.

Play was delayed for nearly 15 minutes while the chair umpire and a tournament referee spoke to the fan who was hit and tried to decide what, if any, action to take against Atmane. Eventually, he was given a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct, but no further penalty.