Former world No.1 Iga Swiatek fires ball at ball kid in ugly outburst
World No.2 Iga Swiatek has come under fire over an ugly outburst towards a ball kid in her semi-final defeat to Mirra Andreeva at Indian Wells.
The Russian teen sensation defeated the reigning India Wells champion 7-6, 1-6, 6-3 to book her spot as the youngest finalist in the tournament since 2001.
But Andreeva's victory was marred by an concerning reaction from her opponent towards the match's ball kids.
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A ball kid, who stood with his arms stretched out, became the prime focus of the Polish star as she lost her composure and struck the ball in his direction.
Luckily for the ball kid, the strike narrowly missed his body and went over into the stands.
Iga Swiatek hits ball towards ball kid. Twitter
One commentator was heard gasping as they watched Swiatek's outburst unfold, before another labelled the act "terrible".
The reaction sparked a hostile response from the crowd as a chorus of boos began to echo through the arena.
It was not the first time the boos were heard in the venue during the match as it seemed to be a routine occurrence ahead of the final set for Swiatek.
The 23-year-old complained to the chair umpire following the incident about alleged movement from the ball kids behind her while she was waiting for Andreeva's serves.
No evidence was noted by the umpire to confirm Swiatek's claims.
Mirra Andreeva and Iga Swiatek of Poland shake hands at the net. Getty
Andreeva will meet top seed Aryna Sabalenka in the final on Monday morning (AEDT).
"I don't know why I felt so much confidence," Andreeva said after defeating Swiatek.
"I felt like, 'I'm going to go and play the tiebreak like it's the last tiebreak of my life'.
"I just went for all my shots. My serve was great, just felt super comfortable and super confident."
