Ball boy's blunder replayed 200,000 times on YouTube: viral video spotlight

(YouTube)

An unfortunate mistake made by a ball boy at the French Open has been watched over 200,000 times on YouTube in the first 24 hours after being uploaded. The boy's unfortunate mistake has also attracted media coverage in publications around the world.

On May 31, during the fifth set of the Murray-Troicki match on the Suzanne Lenglen court, a ball boy crouching next to the umpire's chair mistakenly believed the point had finished and dashed on to the court to retrieve the ball.

Troicki managed, despite the presence of the ball boy, to land an overhead shot past Murray, giving him a 0-15 lead.

The ball boy retreated bashfully to his position by the umpire's chair while Victor Troicki looked on aghast as the umpire ordered the point to be replayed. Murray eventually went on to win the match.

The video, titled " Roland Garros 2011 : Un ramasseur fait une gaffe pendant le match Murray - Troicki," had attracted more than 200,000 views as of June 1 after being uploaded on May 31.

The incident has received coverage from Eurosport, France 24 , British paper The Telegraph and The Sydney Morning Herald and other news outlets. However, YouTube users have shown sympathy towards the ball boy, with many pointing out that "everybody makes mistakes."

The video can be watched in full at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brzJMnnDzDI

The unlucky ball boy can find some comfort in the fact that he is not the first person in his position to make such a mistake: during a Tottenham vs. Bolton Premier League game in 2010, a ball boy mistakenly believed that the ball was going out of play and ran on the pitch to collect it. The incident can be watched at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAXF-CDRn-o, though the original video has since been removed.