Novak, lusot sa ngitngit ng crowd

LONDON ( AP) — Lubhang ikinadismaya ni Novak Djokovic ang tawag ng chair umpire na nagresulta ng break sa kanyang panalo kay home favorite Kyle Edmund nitong Sabado (Linggo sa Manila) sa Wimbledon.

Ngunit, mas napikon ang Grand Slam champion sa pambo-boo ng crowd sa All England Club.

“There is a certain unwritten borderline where you feel that it’s a bit too much,” pahayag ni Djokovic, patungkol sa aksiyon ng crowd sa Centre Court. “I didn’t deserve to be treated the way I was treated by certain individuals.”

Sa kabila nito, matikas ang ratsada ni Djokovic tungo sa 4- 6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 panalo at makausad sa round of 16 sa ika-11 sunod sa All England Club.

Inireklamo niya ang break sa 3-3, 15-40 sa fourth nang tumalbog ang bola ng dalawang ulit bago naibali ni Edmund na hindi natawagan ng chair umpire. Kahit na nagkaroon ng reply, hindi binago ng umpire angf tawag na ikinadismaya ng three-time champion.

“I was 100 percent convinced it (bounced) twice,” aniya.

“Anybody can make a mistake. That’s OK. But I don’t understand why he (the umpire) didn’t allow me to challenge the ball. I asked him. ... So, yes, it was quite a strange decision from (the) chair umpire, but it happens.”

Matapos nito, higit na nagging agresibo si Djokovic.

“I thought the crowd’s reaction after that (time violation) was quite unnecessary. A couple ( of) 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 at that end where I received the time violation.

“Those are the things obviously that people don’t get to see or hear on the TV. I just think it’s not necessary. That’s what I didn’t like. ... My interaction with the crowd, I thought had good things and not great things. I just reacted the way I thought was fair, the way they reacted to me,” pahayag ni Serbian star.

Ito ang ikatlong pagkakataaon na nakaharap ni Djokovic ang isang British player sa Wimbledon. Natalo siya kay Andy Murray noong 2013 final at nagwagi kay James Ward noong 2016. Subalit, ito ang unang pagkakataon na nakatikims iya ng boo sa crowd.

“The crowd was very fair when I played against Andy. Obviously they support their player,” aniya. “But today there was just some people, especially behind that end where I got the time violation, they kept on going, they kept on going, provoking. That’s something that I can tolerate for a little bit, but I’m going to show that I’m present as well, that they can’t do whatever they feel like doing.”