{"id":645,"date":"2022-09-08T14:45:37","date_gmt":"2022-09-08T14:45:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sensationsocial.com\/?p=645"},"modified":"2022-09-09T10:23:30","modified_gmt":"2022-09-09T10:23:30","slug":"us-open-accused-of-disrespect-to-williams-opponent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sensationsocial.com\/?p=645","title":{"rendered":"US Open accused of \u2018disrespect\u2019 to Williams opponent"},"content":{"rendered":"

Estonia\u2019s Anett Kontaveit left her press conference in tears after her defeat to the American star<\/strong><\/p>\n

Organizers at the US Open have been criticized for their treatment of Estonia\u2019s Anett Kontaveit in her second-round defeat to Serena Williams, while the New York crowd has been branded \u201cdisgusting\u201d<\/em> by some observers for its behavior on Wednesday night.<\/p>\n

In what she has hinted will be her last tournament, Williams rolled back the years as she stunned second seed Kontaveit in three sets, 7-6 2-6 6-2, to book a spot in the third round and delight a riotous crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium.<\/p>\n

It was the type of victory that was archetypal for Williams during so much of her glittering career, but which has become a rarity in more recent years as injury and age have taken their toll on the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion.<\/p>\n

The 40-year-old\u2019s presumed swansong in New York has been accompanied by gushing tributes from the organizers \u2013 as was the case at the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Masters last month \u2013 although some found the pre-match ceremony disrespectful towards Kontaveit, who was made to wait for her lower-ranked rival\u2019s hyped-up walk to the court.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce again, US Open organizers bringing Serena Williams\u2019 opponent out onto the court (in this case, the second seed Anett Kontaveit) before playing a montage. Very disrespectful,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0tweeted The Times tennis correspondent Stuart Fraser.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s pretty simple. Play the montage, introduce Serena to a great reception, then the higher-ranked opponent last (as is normally the case at most tournaments). That way, no one left waiting courtside. Everyone\u2019s happy. Done.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Kontaveit was up against Williams and a fiercely partisan crowd. \u00a9 Al Bello \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Others took issue with the behavior of the febrile Flushing Meadows crowd, which cheered unforced errors from Kontaveit and greeted her winners with muted applause at best.<\/p>\n

\u201cSerena played well. Congrats to her. Yet [that] was the most disgusting crowd I have ever seen at a tennis match. Not one applause for Kontaveit\u2019s good play. Cheers when she netted a serve. Where in the world did the US Open find such an uncivilized group of people to fill the stands?\u201d<\/em> read an online comment from one disgruntled fan.<\/p>\n

Those sentiments were echoed elsewhere, although others argued that Williams\u2019 status made her worthy of her boxing-style entrance, also claiming that it was natural that the crowd \u2013 which included a liberal sprinkling of stars such as golfer Tiger Woods \u2013 would get riled up in support of their icon, even as the umpire tried in vain to calm them.<\/p>\n

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Match point, Williams. pic.twitter.com\/Sbsu3Sj3WE<\/p>\n

\u2014 US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 1, 2022<\/p><\/blockquote>\n