Arnaud Gabas suffered a fractured orbital bone after being hit in the eye by a stray ball from Denis Shapovalov during Great Britain's Davis Cup win over Canada.

The umpire was struck during the third set of Shapovalov's crucial clash with Kyle Edmund, the young Canadian unleashing a forehand after being broken by his opponent.

Shapovalov's tempestuous reaction - which saw him fined $7,000 - saw the spare ball fly straight into the left eye of Gabas and resulted in the 17 year-old being defaulted, handing Great Britain the win.

Gabas said he looked "like Rocky Balboa" after the incident, and it has now emerged he needed surgery to repair the damaged eye socket.

"I would like to thank my doctors for their excellent support," said the Frenchman in a statement. "The surgery was successful and I am now concentrating on rest and rehabilitation so I can be back on court in the near future. 

"I would also like to express my sincere gratitude for all the messages of support I have received from around the world."