Scary situation at the Qatar Open -- when pro tennis player Tim Puetz took a RACQUET TO THE EYE in a truly freak accident on the court.
The 33-year-old German pro was in a doubles match with his partner Freddie Nielsen on Wednesday when Puetz tried to stretch to return a serve.
As Puetz reached out his racquet ... he let go of the grip -- and the racquet went crashing to the ground.
But, it hit the surface at a funny angle and BOUNCED BACK at Puetz's face -- with the butt of the racquet bashing the tennis pro right in his eye.
A freak accident on court in Doha...
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 10, 2021
Wishing Tim Puetz a speedy recovery 😔 pic.twitter.com/1KVhlDqiHc
Puetz began bleeding from his face -- and it was obvious he was in pain.
An official ran over with a bag of ice and medical personnel raced over to evaluate the situation.
"I cannot see very well," Puetz can be heard saying in the moments after the incident ... "Freddie I can see pretty well when I’m stationary. But if I look around, I can’t see very well."
Unfortunately for Puetz, the injury forced him to retire from the match. Afterward, his opponents -- Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah -- expressed concern for Tim's health.
"I feel very sorry for Tim," Farrah said in a post-game interview.
"It’s something none of us want, to get hit in the eye, and I really hope he recovers really well."
No word on how Puetz is feeling now ... but hopefully he makes a complete recovery.