John Millman Opens Up On Freak Injury

Australian tennis star John Millman has spoken on the self-inflicted eye injury he suffered earlier this week.

Playing American Marcos Giron at the Mexican Open on Wednesday, Millman tried to block an incoming tennis ball behind him to the ball kid when it flicked up and hit him in his right eye.

He immediately dropped to the court and clutched at his eye.

Millman, ranked no. 80 in the world, retired from the match soon after, trailing Giron by a set and 2-0, with the Aussie being diagnosed with a scratched cornea and eye inflammation post-match.

"It was just a super unfortunate accident. The ball didn't hit me hard, but as I went to flick it to the ball kid, with my back turned, it hit the frame as I was turning around," Millman said.

"I didn't know where the ball was and it got me flush on the eyeball. My eye was completely open when it hit it - (the ball) literally could have hit half a centimetre anywhere else and it would have been fine.

"Straightaway the eye closed up. The physio came on and opened it a little with eye drops but it still wanted to close. I tried playing a few more points but couldn't see out of the right eye.

Millman said he was receiving medication to reduce the inflammation in his injured eye and was hopeful of being able to compete at the Indian Wells Masters in California on March 8th.

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"It was completely fogged over, and I couldn't locate the ball, so I was playing pretty blind. Unfortunately, in tennis, you can't wait around to see if it gets better, so there was really no point in continuing to play.

"The good news is that the retina is not detached, (but) I have scratching to the cornea," the former world number 33 said.

"As of now, I am still wearing a patch, but when I have removed it, my eye is still closed up, there is some bruising, and it remains completely bloodshot.

"I would like to try to play Indian Wells, but it's a waiting game before I can get on court again."

Topics: john millman, Australia