MARC POLMANS was on the brink of victory, but had it all snatched away after a moment of madness.
The Aussie tennis star was disqualified from the Shanghai Masters qualifying tournament after smashing the ball into the umpire's FACE.
Polmans was just moments away from winning the match as he found himself match point up on his opponent Stefano Napolitano.
But in the heat of the moment he hit his shot into the net and vented his frustration at the mistake by smashing his ball off the court.
Unfortunately, the ball slammed directly into the umpire's face - and it was game over for Polmans.
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The immediate disqualification won't just see the 26-year-old dumped from the tournament, but will also mean he will forfeit any prize money he picked up.
Hitting the ball in anger is ruled out in the ATP code of conduct and regardless of where it ends up it can result in disqualification.
Fans were left shocked by Polmans' exit with many jumping on social media to share their reactions.
One wrote: "Don’t think he was aiming at the umpire, but he knows the rules and he broke them."
A second added: "Bro needs to chill."
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Another fan commented: "Quite right, you simply can’t go blasting balls at the officials."
Fellow tennis player Nick Kyrgrios also chimed in on the decision with the Polmans' compatriot well known for his outbursts on the court.
On X, he wrote: "Interested to see what the fine will be. All things considered (15 thousand pounds) for the bottle shake at Queens."
The former world number 13 was referencing the £13,500 fine he was slapped with for his behaviour at Queens in 2018 when he shook his water bottle in an inappropriate manner in his chair courtside.
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