Australian Open runner-up Max Purcell has suggested overseas fans may have been “turned off tennis a little bit” by the Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis crowd antics that dominated the doubles tournament.
Kyrgios and Kokkinakis claimed a memorable Grand Slam title by beating compatriots Purcell and Matt Ebden at Rod Laver Arena last night.
Play was halted for nearly five minutes late in the final as a heckler appeared to be attempting to disrupt Purcell from his serve.
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The punter was eventually removed by security at the behest of a frustrated Kyrgios.
“Yeah, obviously there’s a line where you don’t want to cross it,” Purcell said later.
“Obviously we don’t want people being thrown out, right? If people are doing that then they’re obviously not doing the right thing and respecting the players.
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“I think it was great for ticket sales here, but I’m not so sure how it was taken overseas. If you’re watching some of Nick and Thanasi’s matches earlier in the week and you’re overseas, maybe you get turned off tennis a little bit.
“Look, I’m excited that I got to play in front of such a big crowd. The fact we are Australian, I don’t think they went as hard as they have the rest of them.
“I’m grateful for that. It’s good to see a lot of people supporting Australian tennis.”
The rowdy crowd debate has been one of the hot button topics of the 2022 Open.
Like many tennis traditionalists, Pat Rafter told WWOS he “struggled” to embrace the Kyrgios/Kokkinakis “circus” before deciding that the good outweighed the bad.
“Yeah, it’s weird, right? Like it seemed like the naughtiest crowd I’ve ever played in front of,” Purcell said.
“Even Thanasi and Nick were getting a little angry at them, and with someone getting thrown out.”
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