A vocal spectator got under Novak Djokovic's skin during his Wimbledon second-round match before the Serb channeled his grievances to the on-court security team.
Djokovic was tested by the British wild card Jacob Fearnley, who was playing in his Wimbledon debut. The 22-year-old from Edinburgh impressed with his attacking brand of tennis as he stretched the seven-time champion to four sets.
Fearnley had lost the first two sets 3-6, 4-6, but recovered from a break deficit in the third set to win it 7-5. He was two points away from forcing a fifth set, only for Djokovic to hold for 5-all at 4-5 30-30 in the fourth set.
The World No. 2 won two more games to secure a hard-fought victory and set up a third-round meeting against Alexei Popyin. But it was clear that Djokovic encountered some challenges and setbacks during the match against Fearnley, including an indisciplined fan.
Shortly after losing the third set, television cameras captured the 37-year-old airing his frustration over crowd disturbance while speaking to a security official, "It’s him. That guy. Get him. That guy there, the grey tracksuit just going down the stairs now."
According to iNews UK, security officials approached two people over their conduct throughout the match, and after one temporarily left the court, they were allowed to return to their seats.
It's not the first time this season that Djokovic has found himself playing in a near-partisan venue and sharing his complaints over the crowd's behavior. At the Australian Oepn, he confronted a heckler while playing home player Alexei Popyrin.
Historically, Djokovic has thrived playing in front of hostile crowds but has said he always appreciates crowd support during his matches. Nevertheless, he applauded his vanquished opponent Fearnley when he spoke in the on-court interview.
"A huge congrats to Jacob for an amazing match, he deserves a great round of applause. There’s always an element of surprise and [there was] nothing to lose [for Fearnley].
"It was difficult to break his serve. He made me work. In all, this match potentially deserved a fifth [set] the way he played, particularly in the fourth, but I’m very glad it didn’t."
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