Jakub Mensik was told he was “lucky to get away with it” after throwing his racket into the crowd in frustration. The Czech star failed to convert a break point in his match against Roberto Bautista Agut at Queen’s and hurled his racket, which slipped out of his hands and went flying into the stands on the Andy Murray Arena.

The No. 8 seed at this week’s tournament received a code violation warning for unsportsmanlike conduct but commentators agreed that he would have immediately been disqualified and sent packing had he hit someone.

Mensik took the first set 6-3 over tour veteran and former No. 9 Bautista Agut but found himself in a spot of bother early in the second set when he went an early break down.

Trailing 1-3, the Miami Open champion had break points to get back on serve but he blew his chances and tossed his racket, which launched into the first few rows of seats in the arena.

Mensik looked at his hand in confusion, with the racket seemingly slipping out of his hand when he went to throw it at a safer distance. But commentators immediately questioned whether he should be defaulted.

“Oh my goodness. Well, that's why you have to be careful. What will be the outcome here, because that’s landed in the crowd? How lenient will James Keothavong be here?” Lee Goodall said on world feed commentary.

Lucie Ahl replied: “Luckily there was no one sat in that part.”

Chair umpire James Keothavong announced a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct for Mensik but Goodall thought the teenager got lucky.

He added: “I mean, he is so fortunate if he gets away with this. Had to have a warning minimum, had the crowd been full, that could’ve hit someone in the fact and you’re off the court immediately. He’s got away with one there.”

On the BBC, former Wimbledon Pat Cash also told viewers that Mensik could have been defaulted.

“Did that racket end up in the crowd? Oh dear. Oh my god. He's lucky there is nobody in the crowd because he would've been defaulted for that,” he said.

“It clearly slipped out of his hand and he didn't mean to do that but he would have got a warning for that. He's lucky there's nobody in the crowd or he would've been on his way back to the hotel.”

Mensik continued playing on after being spared a disqualification and went on to lose the set 6-3 as Bautista Agut forced a decider.