Hailey Baptiste hit Elina Svitolina in the face with a forehand during their second-round match at the Italian Open on Sunday. Svitolina recovered quickly and won the match 6-1, 6-2.
The incident took place in the first set. Svitolina approached the net to handle a drop shot from Baptiste, who responded with a forehand that struck the Ukrainian player. Baptiste showed concern and apologized, but Svitolina continued without issue after reacting in time. The crowd applauded both players for their sportsmanship.