A CENTRE COURT punter was told off by umpire Alison Hughes after letting off a champagne cork during the Wimbledon men’s singles final.
The Championships have featured several incidents of carried away punters disrupting play with champagne antics.
AFPJannik Sinner was about to serve when a champagne cork flew on to court[/caption]
EPAThe world No1 stooped to pick up the cork[/caption]
Shutterstock EditorialThe cork was collected by a ball kid[/caption]
But this time the cork even made its way on to court, prompting a few pantomime boos from the rest of the crowd.
With Jannik Sinner pausing to pick the cork up and give it to a ball kid, Hughes sternly warned: “Please do not pop the champagne corks as the players are about to serve.”
Carlos Alcaraz, meanwhile, threw his arms out in frustration down the other end of the court.
Sinner, 23, had been serving down 4-6 2-1 AD.
When he was finally allowed to play the point, the world No1 went on to squander a crosscourt backhand, sending the game back to deuce.
Fans watching at home had their say on the typically Wimbledon affair.
One called it on X: “The most Wimbledon announcement ever.”
While a second cheekily wrote: “They will have to ban champagne!”
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GettyAlison Hughes was in the chair for her second men’s singles Grand Slam final[/caption]
A third blasted: “Idiots on freebies who probably have no interest in tennis but they must be seen there.”
And another quipped: “Wimbledon is not a real place.”
Thankfully the incident didn’t have much of an effect on the game, with Sinner dusting himself and going on to hold serve.
The first-time Wimbledon finalist had got off to a flying start on Centre Court, going up 4-2 in the first set.
But two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz then produced some scintillating tennis to win the next four games and pinch the opener, doing so in style with a remarkable backhand winner on the stretch.
Undeterred, Sinner grabbed an early break in the second set, taking advantage of an Alcaraz lull to pounce.
The rest of the second set went with serve, Sinner taking it 6-4 to level the contest.
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