Wimbledon star Amanda Anisimova fumed at a supporter for disrupting her service motion during her third-riound clash with Dalma Galfi. The No.13 seed was in the process of tossing the ball into the air early on in the third set when a fan decided that was the perfect time to open a bottle of champagne.
Fans are instructed to remain seated and stay silent during play, and especially during a service motion. This unruly supporter found out about the strict rules the hard way.
The popping noise rung around Court 3 as the bottle of champagne was opened and it halted Anisimova in her tracks. She gave the fan a death stare and scolded “Why did you have to open that right now?”
The umpire reminded the crowd of their conduct, saying: “Thank you ladies and gentleman, if you could avoid opening bottles of champagne when the players are about to serve.”
Anisimova was asked about the incident after wrapping up the 6-3, 7-5, 6-3 victory and she said: “Yeah, I mean, it kept happening. At some point I was, like, Can everybody just do it on the changeover?
“Yeah, it was a bit rowdy on that court, too, because you could hear everyone on the sides that are, like, outside of the court. It was definitely a bit distracting.
“Yeah, then again, I have to just adjust, try and focus as much as I can. But, yeah, it can be a little loud when people are doing their external things, but I love the atmosphere and the energy and the crowd supporting me, so it’s been good.”
Anisimova is one of the top seeds remaining in the women’s draw after a record amount fell in the early rounds, including her fellow Americans Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula.
On the upsets, Anisimova added: “I feel like maybe I feel a little bit of pressure because obviously you feel like the opportunity is there.
“At the end of the day I keep reminding myself to just focus on the present, just take it one match at a time. This morning I was just telling myself that and, yeah, to just enjoy the moment, trust my game. I try and focus on what I can control and just zoom out of everything else.”
To be the first to receive the latest Wimbledon news, join our WhatsApp community or Wimbledon newsletter