Djokovic slams Wimbledon crowd for bad behaviour

LONDON: Novak Djokovic criticised the Centre Court crowd after he rediscovered his old fire to knock British hope Kyle Edmund out of Wimbledon in a red hot third-round clash on Saturday.

Outplayed in the opening set in a frenzied atmosphere fuelled by England’s World Cup quarter-final victory earlier, the three-time champion hit back to claim a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 victory and move ominously into the second week.

Djokovic vented his fury at times, with himself, his coaching box and the fans, and was royally heckled and jeered when he was given a time violation warning by the umpire when he served at 3-2 in the third set.

The 31-year-old 12-time Grand Slam champion was undaunted though and the hostile atmosphere seemed to galvanise him.

Djokovic said he had no problem with the time violation but was critical of the behaviour of the crowd — saying it was the worst he had witnessed on the famous old court.

“It was a Davis Cup-like atmosphere. I expected them to support Kyle, obviously. But at times they were slightly unfair to me. That’s how it goes,” Djokovic told reporters.

“I thought the crowd’s reaction after (the time violation) was quite unnecessary. A couple guys really, you know, pretending they were coughing and whistling while I was bouncing the ball more or less to the end of the match.”

Djokovic, the 12th seed, said the Centre Court atmosphere was more hostile than when he played Andy Murray in the 2012 Olympics and the 2013 Wimbledon final.

He sprung to the defence of Edmund, though, after the 23year-old saved a break point in the fourth set when TV replays showed that the ball had bounced twice before he reached it.

Djokovic was furious with the umpire but said it was unfair that some on social media had branded Edmund a cheat.

Djokovic will face Russian youngster Karen Khachanov today in his 44th fourth round match in a Grand Slam.