The world’s worst ball-boy (tennis) was Pierre Gussette, a ball boy at the 1921 Lyon Open tournament. In the first match he was involved with, he managed to topple the Umpire’s chair twice, tried three times to run through the net, threw nine balls into the crowd, one of which hit the visiting King of Norway, and blinded one of the players, Gustaf Smick, who he had completely ignored until the fifth game of the second set. His ‘attack’ on the King of Norway almost caused a diplomatic incident, for which the French government was forced to imprison him for 7 years.
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| A ball-boy at a local Parisian Tennis Association match, fulfilling the role of 'Gussettier', an honorary position bestowed to the most 'sinister' ball-boy at some matches. Photo by pupismyname. |
©2011 James Mathurin
