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'Oh my god': Tennis star kicked out of Wimbledon after 'crazy' act

sam goodwin
Sports Editor
·4-min read
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, pictured here after being hit with a point penalty on match point at Wimbledon.
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina was hit with a point penalty on match point at Wimbledon. Image: BBC

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina made an extraordinary exit from Wimbledon on Wednesday after copping a point penalty on match point against Jiri Vesely.

The World No.37 was locked in a fifth-set match tiebreak against Vesely in the second round when things took a dramatic turn.

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After hitting a forehand into the net that gave Vesely a 9-7 lead in the first-to-10 tiebreaker, Davidovich Fokina angrily smashed a ball out of the stadium after it was thrown to him by a ball kid.

Chair umpire Carlos Ramos hit the Spaniard with a code violation for ball abuse, and because it was his second violation he also received a point penalty.

The point penalty pushed Vesely's lead to 10-7 and ended the match in controversial fashion.

“That’s crazy... what a lousy way to end it,” John McEnroe said in commentary for ESPN.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, pictured here smashing a ball away in anger at Wimbledon.
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina got a point penalty on match point after smashing a ball away in anger. Image: BBC

Davidovich Fokina had earlier received a code violation for an audible obscenity.

According to reports he believed he wouldn't receive a point penalty for smashing the ball because it is constituted as a different offence.

The Spaniard was absolutely dejected at the result and was spotted still sitting in his chair long after the match ended.

The final score was 6-3 5-7 6-7 (2) 6-3 7-6 (10-7) in Vesely’s favour after nearly four hours of play.

Novak Djokovic moves on as Andy Murray bows out

Earlier, defending champion Novak Djokovic reached the third round for the 16th time as career-long rival Andy Murray suffered his earliest-ever exit from the All England Club.

Djokovic brushed aside 79th-ranked Aussie Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-1 6-4 6-2 and will face Serbian compatriot Miomir Kecmanovic in the third round.

"I'm very happy with my performance. I started very well, solid from the back of the court," said Djokovic, who is looking to join Pete Sampras as a seven-time Wimbledon champion.

"I made him work for every point and worked him around the court."

Former World No.1 Murray, the 2013 and 2016 champion at Wimbledon, went down 6-4 7-6 (4) 6-7 (3) 6-4 to big-serving American John Isner.

Novak Djokovic, pictured here celebrating after beating Thanasi Kokkinakis at Wimbledon.
Novak Djokovic celebrates after beating Thanasi Kokkinakis at Wimbledon. (Photo by Steven Paston/PA Images via Getty Images)

Murray, now 52nd in the rankings, failed to break serve once against 2018 semi-finalist Isner, who unleashed 36 aces and 82 winners in total.

"He didn't give me lots of chances," said Murray, whose previous earliest exits came in the third round in 2005 and 2021.

"My game was in a good place. I felt good on the court, just couldn't get the win."

Third seed and French Open runner-up Casper Ruud, who was scheduled to face Djokovic in the semi-finals, was knocked out by 112th-ranked Ugo Humbert 3-6 6-2 7-5 6-4.

And spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz stayed on course to meet Djokovic in the last eight by reaching the third round for the first time.

The 19-year-old triumphed over Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands, 6-4 7-6 (0) 6-3.

The flamboyant Spanish shot-maker goes on to face Germany's Oscar Otte for a place in the last 16.

with agencies

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