Umpire Arnaud Gabas has undergone successful surgery in France to repair a fracture of the orbital bone under his left eye. Gabas suffered the injury when he was struck by a ball off the racquet of Denis Shapovalov in a much-publicized Davis Cup incident in Ottawa, Ontario on February 5th during Great Britain’s 3-2 victory over Canada.
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Shapovalov struck the ball in anger, hoping to launch it into the crowd, but it accidentally hit Gabas, resulting in his default. The 17-year-old was fined $7,000 for his actions.
Gabas’ fracture was detected when doctors performed X-rays upon Mr Gabas’s return from Ottawa, DavisCup.com reports.
Here is a snippet from their statement on Gabas’ health:
“Mr Gabas is now back at his home and is in good spirits. His doctors have recommended that he undertake a period of rest and recovery.
Mr Gabas said: "I would like to thank my doctors for their excellent support. The surgery was successful and I am now concentrating on rest and rehabilitation so I can be back on court in the near future. I would also like to express my sincere gratitude for all the messages of support I have received from around the world.’’
Mr Gabas requests privacy and will not be giving further statements at this time.