'Sore loser' slammed over 'pathetic' act
Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva has been slammed by fans over a controversial act of poor sportsmanship at the Australian Open.
Putintseva lost to Romania's Ana Bogdan on Thursday, bowing out 6-1, 2-6, 3-6.
Putintseva was involved in a running battle with the chair umpire during the match, becoming increasingly angry as the match slipped away.
The Kazakhstani player was filthy after Bogdan secured victory, unhappy that she'd capitulated after winning the first set.
Putintseva shook hands with her opponent at the net, but refused to do so with the chair umpire as she made her way off court.
She appeared to offer her hand to the official before pulling it back and walking away.
Fans immediately took to social media with criticism over the poor display, with one spectator labelling the move 'pathetic and petulant'.
More really poor behaviour from Putintseva at the #AusOpen At least this time she didn't win. Refusing to shake the umpire's hand is so pathetic and petulant. Well done @ana_bogdan !
— Vince Gough (@MereNovice) January 18, 2018
Putintseva didn't shake the umpire's hand LOL
— tim 🎾🇸🇬 (@wta_fanatics) January 18, 2018
Sore loser Yulia #Putintseva refuses to shake umpire's hand at end of match! Ana Bogdan progresses to the 3rd round on court 8
— Keith (@oenanthe54) January 18, 2018
Putintseva goes down in a thrilling match against Ana Bogdan and was like nah ... I'm not going to shake the umpire's hand #AusOpen
— Dan Gilman (@DJ_Gilman) January 18, 2018
LOL Putintseva constantly clutching at her leg- but only when she loses a point. When she wins a point she tries to pump crowd up. This girl is probably the lowest class player in history
— Djesus (@SrbBets) January 18, 2018
Bogdan screaming "COME ON" at the end of every point.
Putintseva (who also got a time violation from an over-it Alison Hughes) looking utterly disgusted at everything.
This is true theater.— Victoria Chiesa (@vrcsports) January 18, 2018
Lol Putintseva pretending she is injured to try and disrupt Bogdan's momentum. Classic low class WTA
— Djesus (@SrbBets) January 18, 2018
As for Bogdan, the 25-year0old couldn't contain her emotions after securing her place in the third round.
She immediately burst into tears after the final point, before sobbing into her towel afterwards.
Meanwhile, heavyweight trio Karolina Pliskova, Angelique Kerber and Maria Sharapova escaped peril on yet another day of carnage in the women's draw.
Sixth-seeded Pliskova romped into the third round with a 6-1 6-1 dismissal of Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia, joining former champion Sharapova, who earlier on Thursday ousted Latvian 14th seed Anastasija Sevastosa 6-1 7-6 (7-4).
Ex-No.1s Sharapova and 2016 Open champion Kerber - who dispatched Donna Vekic 6-4 6-1 for her 11th straight win of the year - will square off in the first blockbuster of the tournament on Saturday.
Pliskova set up an all-Czech third-round affair with Lucie Safarova, a 6-2 6-4 winner over Romania's Sorana Cirstea.
But third-seeded Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza and ninth seed Johanna Konta crashed out of the Open in straight-sets defeats.
A former French Open and Wimbledon doubles champion, Hsieh will meet Agnieszka Radwanska in the next round. Poland's 26th seed progressed with a 2-6 7-5 6-3 win over Belarusian Lesia Tsurenko.
American "lucky loser" Bernarda Pera stunned Konta 6-4 7-5 to continue her dream run after only gaining a last-minute entry to the main draw for the first time following the withdrawal of Russian Margarita Gasparyan.
with AAP