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The bizarre moment tennis star saves a bug – only to see it squashed

The bizarre moment tennis star saves a bug – only to see it squashed

Tennis player Maria Sakkari thought she had saved a bug during her game at the Washington Open, but the creature was crushed a short time after.

The Greek athlete had competed against American opponent Emma Navarro in the round of 16 of the competition.

Sakkari momentarily paused the game upon noticing an insect on the court, with the 29-year-old athlete seen crouching down and gently picking it up.

A bug crawled on Sakkari’s hand while she calmly moved towards the back of the court, then tried to blow it away.

Sakkari finally set the bug down beside the star, aiming to protect it from danger as the match continued.

“Good effort from Sakkari, managing the native animals,” the commentator said.

“Executed with great care,” they remarked.

However, the footage revealed that the bug’s respite was merely temporary.

As the cameras focused on it at the rear of the court, a ball boy’s shoe was observed pressing down and flattening it.

The event led to shocked responses from both Sakkari and the analyst.

Goodness me,” the commentator remarked, noting “the ball boy missed the notice.

The cameras then moved to Sakkari, who reacted to the strange situation with a smile before quickly shifting her attention to returning Navarro’s serve.

Sakkari eventually prevailed in the match in impressive fashion, securing a 7-5, 7-6 victory over tournament second seed Emma Navarro.

The former third-ranked player, who made it to the semi-finals of the French Open and US Open in 2021, will now face Britain’s Emma Raducanu in the quarter-finals.

Raducanu secured a notable 6-4 6-2 win against former world number one Naomi Osaka, advancing to the quarterfinals.

The British athlete has faced Sakkari three times throughout her career and emerged victorious each time.

Their most significant encounter took place at the US Open in 2021, where Raducanu secured a victory in straight sets during their semi-final match.

Raducanu notably secured the championship, making her the first qualifier to claim a grand slam.

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