'Terrible Mess, Like Wasp's Net': Kvitova Speaks About 'Strange' Match At US Open

Thursday, 31 August 2023 at 23:20

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byAlex Waite

Petra Kvitova complained that the loud atmosphere and home-sided crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium impacted her performance against Caroline Wozniacki at the US Open.

Kvitova played out a hard-fought contest against former world number one Wozniacki at Arthur Ashe Stadium in the US Open second round. However, the Czech player eventually lost 7-5, 7-6 against the two-time US Open finalist.

But Kvitova was far from impressed during the match due to the noisy spectators in the crowd on Flushing Meadows' premier court. When speaking to the Czech news outlet iSport.cz after the defeat, the 33-year-old complained of speaking during points and sarcastic applause when faulting on serve.

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"There was a terrible mess at Arthur Ashe from the beginning, like a wasp's nest. Then it's hard to concentrate on tennis when you keep hearing voices. When I discussed it with the referee, she replied that it would not be better."

— Kvitova told iSport.cz

"So great, I understand that the audience was a little on Caroline's side, but they didn't have to applaud when I messed up the first serve. It was simply a strange match."

It is not the first time this season that players have pointed out issues with the Grand Slam crowds At Wimbledon in July, Victoria Azarenka was booed heavily for not shaking Elina Svitolina's hand, while several players had problems with the vociferous home supporters at the 2023 Roland Garros, including Taylor Fritz, who was booed for over a minute.

Despite issues with the crowd at Flushing Meadows, the loss for Kvitova caps a disappointing run of form in the American competitions in 2023. After a solid showing at Wimbledon, where the Czech player reached the final 16, she has struggled to find consistency in recent tournaments.

Before the second-round elimination at the US Open, Kvitova crashed out in the second rounds at both the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Masters.