Tiny ball girl gets cold feet for Strycova's match

Nov 03, 2017
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Tiny ball girl gets cold feet for Strycova's match

Published Nov 03, 2017

On Friday, Barbora Strycova was walking out to her WTA Elite Trophy match against Sloane Stephens when she paused to join hands with a ball girl. The tradition at many big events is for players to be accompanied by a local youngster, oftentimes a ball girl or ball boy.

Instead, the little girl got cold feet and refused. Even with Strycova's persuasive efforts, the girl would not budge.

Strycova, forced to carry on alone, put forth a solid showing in her final match of 2017. Leading 5-0 against US Open champion Stephens, the American retired with a knee injury.

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The injury puts Stephens' Fed Cup final showing next weekend in Minsk in jeopardy.