Ramirez title defense off as challenger O’Connor hospitalized
after he had been given a time violation for bouncing the ball too often.
“I thought the crowd’s reaction was quite unnecessary. A couple of guys 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,” said former world number one Djokovic.
“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.”
Djokovic responded by sarcastically blowing kisses to the crowd and cupping his ear as he unleashed the winning strokes that took him into a 44th last-16 appearance at the Grand Slams.
“If you were in my position, you would probably understand,” said the 12-time major winner.
“I’m a human being like anybody else, I can feel the pressure as everybody else.
“My interaction with the crowd, I thought had good things and not that great things. I just reacted the way I thought it was fair, the way they reacted to me.”
In a stormy encounter, Djokovic was also furious when he was denied a break of serve in the seventh game of the fourth set when the ball bounced twice before Edmund hit what was ruled a winner.
“It was quite a strange situation, to be honest,” said Djokovic of the incident which happened right in front of umpire Jake Garner.
“First of all, the only thing I wanted to know from him (the umpire) is, how does he think it’s possible that Kyle hits
and fast if he hit it with the frame.
“If you hit it with the frame, it’s supposed to kind of slow down the trajectory of the ball. I was 100% convinced it was twice. I heard from people that it was.”
Djokovic did not blame Edmund for the incident.
The Briton insisted that he was unaware that he had played the ball on a double bounce.
“You need television to see it. If in real life it’s hard to tell, then it’s hard to tell for me when I’m scrambling,” said Edmund, the last British player in the singles.
“Generally if you need television to look at stuff, when you’re in the moment trying to make that split decision... I don’t really know what to say. I try my best to get there.”
Djokovic next plays Russian world number 40 Karen Khachanov for a place
Jose Ramirez’s first defense of his World Boxing Council super lightweight world title was called off Saturday as challenger Danny O’Connor was hospitalized with severe dehydration.
The WBC said in a brief item on their website that the bout scheduled for Saturday in Fresno, California, had been called off after O’Connor “suffered various dehydration symptoms during the official weighing,” adding that he was taken to hospital.
A post on the Facebook page of O’Connor’s promoter -- Joe DeGuardia of Star Boxing -- said emergency medical personnel were called when O’Connor collapsed upon leaving a sauna Friday.
The fighter was taken to hospital with dehydration and possible kidney failure, the post said.
O’Connor’s Twitter feed later carried a post showing a picture of the fighter in hospital, with a message.
“heartbreaking to be rushed to the hospital and deemed medically unfit to fight the day before fighting for my first world title,” he posted. “I let the idea of being a world champion cloud my judgment of my personal health. Nothing is more important than my health.”
In a second post he added: “As I rest and recover with my family I ask for privacy. Thanks for all the well wishes and your continued support.”
DeGuardia said O’Connor had been tr ying to shed a last two pounds ( 900 grams) to make the 140- pound weight limit.
O’Connor, a 33- year- old from Massachusetts with a record of 30- 3 with 11 knockouts, was preparing for his first world title fight.
Ramirez, 22- 0 with 16 knockouts, was to make the first defense of the title he won with a defeat of fellow American Amir Imam in New York on March 17.
Since then Ramirez had parted with trainer Freddie Roach, and was to fight for the first time with trainer Robert Garcia in his corner.