'Out of control': Tennis players in extraordinary on-court 'fight'
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Thiago Seyboth Wild have played out one of the wildest matches in recent memory at the Rio Open.
The three-set thriller lasted just short of four hours and featured underarm serves, ugly scenes involving the crowd and a nasty on-court altercation between the players.
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‘KYRGIOS WOULD BE PROUD’: Youngster booed over underarm serve
Wild prevailed 5-7, 7-6 (3), 7-5 in front of a raucous home crowd, who booed loudly booed Fokina on numerous occassions.
The first came when Fokina caught Wild short with an underarm serve, and fans were further incensed when the Spaniard hit a smash straight at the Brazilian.
“Oh come on people,” one TV commentator said of the crowd’s treatment of Fokina.
In a dramatic final set Fokina blew up at a number of fans sitting in the front row before sparking anger with another underarm serve.
This time it went down as an ace because Wild didn’t appear to be ready, however the umpire allowed it.
Wild angrily remonstrated with the chair umpire before turning his anger to Fokina, the two players engaging in an ugly verbal altercation at the net.
Fans and commentators couldn’t believe what they were witnessing.
Fokina and Seyboth Wild were LITERALLY ready to start a boxing fight. Crazy stuff. #RioOpen pic.twitter.com/v6W8L2LCcJ
— Alex | Tennis 🎾 (@Alex_Boroch) February 18, 2020
just turned on Davidovich Fokina vs. Wild and it looks like things are absolutely OUT OF CONTROL😱
— Ricky Dimon (@Dimonator) February 18, 2020
Then Fokina did an underarm serve when Wild wasn't paying attention and then HE lost it. pic.twitter.com/BLEjqu75Eb
— Michael Gallo (@Galloots) February 18, 2020
Wild then came into the fray and the chair umpire had to break them up pic.twitter.com/EkvLcVs9yI
— Michael Gallo (@Galloots) February 18, 2020
Kyrgios withdraws from Delray Beach Open
Nick Kyrgios has pulled out of the ATP Tour's Delray Beach Open just hours before his first round match against Tommy Paul.
The top-seeded Australian has withdrawn from the singles tournament, but will still take part in the doubles draw.
Kyrgios' withdrawal means that all four Australians have failed to progress beyond the first round of the ATP 250 tournament in America.
"I'm dealing with a little bit of a left wrist injury; been dealing with it for the last week or so," Kyrgios said on Monday.
"Some sort of tendon thing. Apart from that feeling pretty good."
Lucky loser Daniel Elahi Galan Riveros will take the 24-year-old's place in the draw.
Kyrgios will still partner countryman Jordan Thompson, who retired in his singles defeat to Serbia's Miomir Kecmanovic, in the doubles.
Queenslander Bernard Tomic, who entered the main draw as a lucky loser, has lost his opening round match 6-2 3-6 6-2 to Germany's Cedrik-Marcel Stebe.
The fastest I saw Tomic move all match was when he took his shirt off after hitting match point into the net pic.twitter.com/SmQUs9qMIf
— Rob (@rawbdesj) February 18, 2020
Fifth-seeded Aussie John Millman suffered a 3-6 6-4 6-2 defeat to Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka in the first round of the tournament on Tuesday (AEDT).
with AAP